When the Day Met the Night
by Bex-La-Get
Summary: Out of desperation to save his mother and himself, Draco seeks help from an unlikely source to escape Voldemort's clutches: Hermione Granger. But when she brings Draco to the Order, he discovers what it means to trust, forgive and be forgiven, to be a part of something, and to even love. Dramione. Set during DH. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Cover photo belongs to CaptBexx.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello my lovelies! Guess who's baacckk! Me! This is my new story **_**When the Day Met the Night._ Title is from a song by Panic at the Disco. Very cute song. Go look it up! Currently still working on the story but I was so excited for you guys to read this, i couldn't wait to put it up! So updates will be weekly for the time being. Anyway, I hope you guys like this story! Enjoy!_**

**_Tallyho!_**

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**Chapter 1:**

Draco Malfoy sat in the back of a small cafe in Muggle London. He gripped his coffee tight as he tried to steady his breathing. He could feel himself shaking but blamed it on the caffeine from his drink. He didn't like being here, it didn't feel right. It didn't matter to him that he was around Muggles; that hadn't bothered him for a while. What bothered him was that he felt so out of place. Even among muggles, all of whom didn't know who he was, he knew he didn't belong. Granted, Draco didn't belong amongst his own kind either so it wasn't much of a change; the only difference was that no one looked at him absolutely terrified or with hatred here which he appreciated.

As he sat, drinking his coffee, he wondered how in Merlin's name he got where he was. Hiding from both the Light and Dark sides of the wizarding world. After the incident on the Astronomy Tower, he had lost favor with the Dark Lord and his family had been put to shame. Lucius was now under the very watchful eye of Voldemort while poor Narcissa was being driven mad with grief and worry for her husband and son. The only reason why Narcissa hadn't succumbed to insanity was because of Draco himself and because of the secret promise he made her. And that promise was what led him here, today, sitting in a muggle cafe, in muggle clothing, waiting for someone he never thought he would see under these circumstances.

As if right on cue, she walked in. She was dressed in muggle attire: jeans, sneakers, a black t-shirt and a light grey jacket. Her usual bush of curly hair had been tamed into a braid that fell over her shoulder. He watched as her chocolate eyes searched the cafe for his silver ones. When they met, he felt his body stiffen as she stared him down and walked towards his table. He fought the urge to look away from her as she got closer. No; he instigated this meeting, he would not be the first to back down or look away. Their eyes never left each others as she sat down at his table.

_Here we go._

"Granger." he said sternly.

"Hello Malfoy." she replied.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Alright, my lovelies! I was thinking of posting these every Friday but I decided Sunday would be a better day because 1) Fridays are my shut down day so I didn't want to give myself something to do on a Friday and 2) I figured it would be a little upside to your Sunday since I know you're all dreading going back to school tomorrow (like myself). Anyway, that's all I have for you tonight. Have a wonderful evening and a great week!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 2:**

They sat in silence for a few moments while the waiter brought Hermione her own cup of coffee while topping off Draco's. Neither quite knew how to start the conversation. Even though Draco had asked for the meeting, he honestly never thought he would get this far so now he was kind of stuck. Fortunately, Hermione saved him from the awkward silence between them.

"I have to admit," she said as she stirred her coffee, not looking at him, "I was very surprised when I got your letter. At first, I thought it was a joke."

A ghost of a smirk rested on Draco's lips. "Yes, I imagine you did."

"But after checking it for every hex and curse imaginable," she continued, ignoring his comment, "I decided to read it." She paused and looked up at him. "And I never expected to find what I did in that letter."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Spit it out, Granger. I don't have time for riddles."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a pun?"

He looked at her confused until it dawned on him what she meant: Tom Riddle aka Voldemort aka the man who would kill him on sight if he knew what he was doing right now. Draco shook his head as he said "No."

Hermione nodded and took a sip of her coffee before continuing. "Anyway, even after reading it six more times, it still felt like a trap. Everything about that letter was screaming at me that it was bad news."

"Then why did you come?" Draco said getting impatient.

She shook her head and bit her lip. "My curiosity got the better of me. I mean, for Merlin's sake Malfoy, you asked to meet in muggle London! If _that_ didn't set off my curiosity I don't know what would. I mean with your blood prejudices and all-"

"Blood purity doesn't matter to me anymore, Granger." Draco muttered.

She looked at him shocked. "W-what?"

He shook his head. "It's a long story. Which I would tell you if we could just get on with this meeting already."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she nodded. "Fine. But there's some things I need to do before we start."

Draco rolled his eyes this time and leaned back in his chair while crossing his arms across his chest. "Fine. Just hurry it up, Granger. I don't have all day."

Ignoring him, Hermione discreetly pulled out her wand from her bag and cast a silencing charm around their table before putting it back and pulling out an assortment of items including a notebook, a muggle pen, and a small box with buttons on it. Draco had absolutely no idea what that last item that she had pulled out was and was frankly very concerned now.

"What in Merlin's name is _that_?" he asked giving the contraption a very confused look.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing at Draco's expression. "It's called a tape recorder. I press the red button and it records everything that we say on the tape inside the box."

"And why the hell would you need that?"

"In case there's anything I miss while we're talking, I can go back and listen to it if there's something important that I need from the information that you give me."

Draco nodded but still eyed the contraption suspiciously as if were going to jump out and bite him at any moment. "Are we ready then?"

"Almost." Hermione said as she went digging through her purse one last time. She pulled out a small vial with a cork for a cap and handed it to Draco who leaned further back in his chair as if it were poison.

"Relax, it's just Veritaserum." she said.

"Veritaserum? Why would I need that?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Do you honestly think I would've come here without some sort of plan to ensure that you're going to tell me the truth and not send an ambush of Death Eaters on me or the Order for that matter?"

"Well, no but I figured you had more sense than that, Granger."

"I would've had less sense if I didn't bring it. Now drink."

"How do I know it's not poison?"

She furrowed her brows and tilted her head in disbelief. "I'm a Gryffindor, you dolt!" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And really, it was, because she was too noble to try anything like that; even if it _was_ her school enemy.

He huffed in response and Hermione took it that he agreed with her statement. Pushing the vile closer to him she said "Drink."

He rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous."

"Do you want my help or not?" she asked frustrated.

Draco muttered to himself before glaring at Hermione while taking the vial in his hands. "Fine." he said as he uncapped the vial and drank the potion with one swig.

"Good. Let's get started." Hermione said as she pressed the red button on the tape recorder. "First, we're going to make sure that the Veritaserum has taken effect. Name?"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy." he answered bitterly.

"Date of birth?"

"June 5th, 1980."

"Hogwarts House?"

He groaned. "You know the answer to that, Granger."

"Just answer the question, Malfoy." she said unimpressed.

Suppressing another groan, he answered. "Slytherin."

"Does anyone know you're here?"

"If by anyone, you mean Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, or anyone else that might try to wreak havoc or kill us, no."

"Anybody else?"

"No."

Hermione nodded as she scribbled quickly in her notebook. "What is Voldemort planning?"

"Right now, he's building an army. Werewolves, giants, wizards, everyone and anyone he can get his hands on, he's either recruiting or killing if they refuse him."

"What's his plan once he builds his army?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You should know that his overall plan is to kill Potter and be the most powerful and unstoppable Dark Wizard our world has ever seen."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. But in order to beat that plan we need to know his whole plan. So what is it?"

He sighed. "Now that he's taken over the Ministry, he intends to attack Hogwarts. He knows how weak the school's been since Dumbledore's death and he intends to take advantage of that weakness. He also knows that attacking the school will lure Potter there because he knows he wouldn't be able to turn away while his school burned."

She nodded. "What happened that night on the Astronomy Tower?"

"I thought Potter would've explained to you what happened. I know he was up there that night."

She nodded. "He did. But I want to hear your side of the story. From the beginning. When you were first given your… task."

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he internally cursed her for making him take the Veritaserum. Groaning, he merely said "I failed." He paused and looked at her. She merely looked back at him with curious eyes and tilted her head slightly in encouragement for him to continue. "When I was given the Dark Mark, I knew I was done for. My father had failed in the Dark Lord's eyes at the Ministry so he came to me to punish my father and give me an even more difficult task: killing Dumbledore. Over the summer, my parents were placed under the very watchful eye of the Dark Lord's followers while I was put in training to kill Dumbledore. Day after day, I was practicing the Unforgivables, Legilimency, and protective spells that would keep me safe in case something went wrong.

"As the summer continued, I was then told that the Death Eaters would be breaking in and taking over Hogwarts the same night that I was to kill Dumbledore. The Death Eaters would be there to get rid of anyone who might get in my way and frankly, I think they were there to just wreak havoc any way that they could."

"Okay… you're still not explaining what happened up there."

"Well if you would shut up and let me finish, you'd understand." Draco snapped.

Hermione narrowed her eyes but remained silent. Draco continued. "Anyway, as school got close to starting, Voldemort was discussing how to get the Death Eaters into the school when I remembered a conversation I had with Graham Montague after the Weasley twins shoved him into the Vanishing Cabinet our fifth year. I brought it up to Snape who brought it to the Dark Lord's attention who decided that that's how they would get into Hogwarts. We found the sister cabinet at Borgin and Burkes and after school started, Snape received information that the one Montague got put in had ended up in the Room of Requirement where I spent a majority of the year fixing it. Then came the night of the Astronomy Tower."

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He was shaking more now than he was before this meeting but he still blamed it on the coffee rather than what he was talking about. Taking a deep breath, he continued once more. "While there, my only thought was 'just get it over with' but that was much easier said than done. Once I was there, and once I saw how weak he already was, any confidence I had to finish the job was gone. And then Dumbledore offered me a way out; an opportunity for freedom. I wanted so badly to take it but I was so scared, I couldn't bring myself to do it. And then the Death Eaters broke into the school and the opportunity was gone. Snape ended up killing Dumbledore and then ran off with me in tow trying to get out of there as fast as we could but of course, as I'm sure you remember, all hell broke loose and… well you know the rest."

Hermione nodded as she remembered that very unfortunate night. "If the Death Eaters hadn't broken into the school, would you have taken Dumbledore's offer?"

Draco hesitated then shook his head. "I don't know. I like to think that the part of me with any common sense left would have but I honestly don't know."

She nodded and moved on to a different question. "What do you know about Horcruxes?"

Draco stiffened. "A Horcrux is a powerful dark object that allows a dark wizard or witch to place a fragment of their soul in order to attain immortality. Why?"

"We believe Voldemort has created multiple horcruxes in order to stay immortal. Do you have any information on that?"

He nodded. "Snape gave me some information on them that he received from Dumbledore. He believed that Voldemort split his soul up into seven horcruxes. Potter destroyed one Second year when he stabbed the diary with the basilisk fang in the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore destroyed another one- the ring- with the sword of Gryffindor last year."

Hermione nodded. "Do you know where the other ones are?"

"No." he shook his head. "But I know _what_ they are."

She raised an eyebrow? "All five? You the rest of the five Horcruxes? How?"

He nodded. "Dumbledore told Snape who told me. Don't give me that look, Granger." he said as he saw Hermione raise her eyebrows in skepticism. "Dumbledore and Snape were closer than a lot of people would believe. They trusted each other. And before you accuse Snape of treason for killing someone he supposedly trusted, you should know that Dumbledore was dying a very painful death, courtesy of the ring, which I'll get to in a minute." Draco hadn't intended to explain this to her but he felt he owed it to Snape. The man had been the closest thing to a father figure that he had so he needed to defend him and explain why Snape did what he did. "Snape knew Dumbledore was dying and had even been asked by the man himself to kill him. Dumbledore knew that by having Snape kill him, he would save my innocence (what little is left of it at this point) and show his "true" allegiance to Voldemort not letting on that he was really for the other side. Dumbledore's death wasn't a cold blooded murder; it was mercy."

Hermione was speechless. She didn't see that coming and to her disappointment hadn't written any of it down. She thanked Merlin that she had left the tape recorder running; she'd go back over what he had just said later. As she got her bearings together, Draco began speaking again. "Now, back to the Horcruxes. The first one is-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hermione said waving her hands. "Does Snape know you're here?"

Draco sighed in exasperation. "No. Like I said earlier, no one knows that I'm here. Now where was I?" As Draco recollected what he was about to say, Hermione got her pen ready to write down whatever he said. "Oh right," he began, "the first one was Marvolo Gaunt's ring which was cursed and led Dumbledore into dying a very painful death. The curse was death to anyone who attempted to put the ring on which Dumbledore did. As I'm sure you know now, Dumbledore destroyed the ring so that no longer counts as a Horcrux. What's left is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, and Nagini, the Dark Lord's snake."

Hermione's hand was cramping as she finished the list but she didn't care. Malfoy just gave her so much valuable information that it helped the objective of defeating Voldemort for good just became so much more real. She could hug him if it weren't for the fact that they would probably hex each other at the smallest touch. Instead she gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you. This helps us so much. Even if we don't know _where_ they are, we now know _what _they are and that's better than where we started."

He nodded. "Glad I could be of service." There was no malice or sarcasm in his voice, to Hermione's surprise. He seemed genuinely pleased that he could help the Light defeat the Dark. Then something popped up in her mind that he had said in the beginning of the interview.

"Why did you say that blood status no longer matters to you?" she asked before she could stop herself.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He should've known this question would come up. "After the night on the Astronomy Tower, I saw how ruthless Voldemort really was. He began killing whoever defied him: muggle-born or pureblood. When I realized that, I saw that my family and I were doomed either way and that it didn't matter if I was a pureblood; there was a strong chance that Voldemort would kill my parents and I without a second thought. That's when I realized I needed to get out when I could."

"Which leads me to my next question: why did you contact me?"

He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"I realize that there's not many people on the Light side that you could contact but of all people you _could have_ contacted, you reached out to me. Why?"

He bit his lip as he thought about his answer. "You're right, there were very few people I could contact on the Light side but of all the people I could have tried to reach, you seemed the most logical. You were always the most rational one out of The Golden Trio and, I hoped, that with that rationale came the will to listen to all sides, even mine. I took a huge risk contacting you; one, because if the Dark Lord found out, I'd be killed on the spot and two, because there was a chance you wouldn't answer my letter. But you did; and now we're here."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. Draco held his breath as she pondered what he had said. Being under the Veritaserum, Draco had told the complete truth so Hermione had no reason to doubt him. But she was still weary of him; why wouldn't she be? This is the boy who tormented her and her friends for years and felt no remorse for it. Or so she thought.

She studied him as he looked away at the crowded cafe. He didn't look much like a boy anymore. His eyes held so much sorrow and stress while his face gave an aged impression when he furrowed his brows and frowned. His hair was losing it's platinum hue and his skin was so pale, he looked like a ghost. He was skinnier too, and Hermione briefly wondered if the Death Eaters weren't getting the special treatment she assumed they were getting.

No, this boy was a man now, but not on his own terms. This was a man who would be haunted by his past for the rest of his life. Despite his austere exterior, she could see the pain and fear he held inside through his eyes. Hermione felt, for the first time in the seven years that she had known Malfoy, that she was finally seeing who he was, even if it was just a sliver. She saw so much of Harry in him that it scared her. Both were placed on a certain path at mere boyhood and both were essentially forced to follow through on that path. Hermione began to wonder what kind of person Malfoy would be if he had been put on Harry's side of the tracks or vice versa.

Realizing this, Hermione decided she would help Malfoy. She knew she was probably insane for wanting to help him but she didn't care. In her mind, if she could help one person come to the Light side and redeem themselves, more people might follow suit and join the cause to help defeat Voldemort once and for all. Now the only thing to do was convince Malfoy and the Order…

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the waiter came by to top off their coffees. When he left, she looked at Malfoy who was looking back at her nervously. Not voicing her plan yet, she asked another question.

"When you say that you want out," she started, "do you mean that you want to come to the Light side or just out altogether and disappear from our world?"

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "I want to come to the Light. Voldemort has done too much damage for me to runaway. Plus, I'm a Slytherin; I don't back down easily. I want to fight. I want to help end him." He spoke those last sentences with such determination that Hermione had to fight the urge to smile. Half of her plan would be easier than she thought.

"Good. Now, when you come to the Light, would anyone be coming with you?"

He hid his surprise when he noticed she said _when_ but nodded wearily anyway. "My mother. I made a secret promise to her I would protect her and going to the Light would do just that."

"Does she know that's your plan?"

Draco shook his head. "No. She knows I'm up to something but she doesn't know what. I'm letting her believe I'm on a mission for the Dark Lord. I did that on purpose. Voldemort is skilled in Legilimency and should he attempt it on her, I want her to be safe. So all he'll find is that I'm on a secret mission for him and my mother will be safe from harm for the time being."

She nodded. "What about your father?" As soon as she asked the question, she wished she hadn't. Draco stiffened and his face darkened at the mention of Lucius Malfoy. She could see he was struggling against the Veritaserum and just as she was about to tell him that he didn't have to answer, he did.

"My f-father doesn't know anything and I don't intend to tell him or take him with me. He is nothing to me."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to press you."

He just shook his head.

Hermione looked down at her notes and as she was about to ask another question, she was interrupted.

"Why did you agree to meet me?" Draco suddenly asked.

She looked up at him confused. "I thought I was the one asking questions?"

"I'm tired of answering. It's my turn to ask questions now."

Hermione raised an eyebrow but sat back in her seat anyway.

"Well?" Draco asked.

"Well what?"

"Why did you agree to meet me?"

"I told you, my curiosity got the best of me."

"I know you're lying, Granger. You may have been curious, but there's more to it than that. There always is."

Hermione hesitated before responding. She knew she didn't have to be honest with him but she felt since she made him take the Veritaserum, she might as well be fair and tell the truth. Still, she turned off the tape recorder before answering. There were certain things that the Order didn't need to hear and this was one of those times.

She shrugged. "You're right. I am one to listen to all sides. When I got your letter, I was intrigued and I knew that if you gave me the right information, I could take it to the Order and we might be able to finally defeat Voldemort. I also knew that if you decided to join us, you could be a valuable asset to us with your knowledge of the Death Eaters and their plans." _And I believed there was good in you, deep down_. she thought to herself. Okay, so maybe she hadn't said the whole truth but she wasn't quite ready to let that last piece of information loose any time soon.

However what she said seemed to satisfy Malfoy as he nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Can I continue now?" she asked.

"You still have questions?" he asked, surprised.

"Just a few more."

He shrugged and nodded and she started the tape recorder again. Knowing she was running out of time with the Veritaserum, she threw out a question that had been burning the back of her mind since she received his letter. "How do I know I can trust you?"

He studied her for a moment before answering. "You don't." he answered truthfully. "And that's partially because I don't know if I can trust myself. I'm seventeen years old, Granger, and I've seen and done things that would give you nightmares. Because of those things, even _I_ don't know if I'm completely trustworthy. But I have to start somewhere right?"

She nodded and paused before asking her last question. "Do you trust me?"

She could see that the Veritaserum was wearing off since he looked less strained to answer this question. Her suspicions were answered when he gave her an evasive answer. "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"Did you ever have a choice, Draco?" she asked quietly but he still heard it.

He raised an eyebrow at her question and use of his first name. Now that the Veritaserum wore off he didn't have to answer honestly and he took complete advantage of it. Instead he tilted his head and said "Touche."

Sighing, she looked away at the other patrons in the cafe. She envied how simple their lives seemed compared to hers. She wanted what they had: petty issues like what they would cook for dinner, worrying about grades, and how would they pay the electric bill. Everything that seemed like chaos to the muggles, would've been a walk in the park for her. She swore to herself that if they made it out of this alive, she would never complain about anything again.

Taking a deep breath, she looked back at Draco who seemed to be studying her. Despite the fact that they had known each other for nearly seven years, they couldn't seem to figure the other out. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he turns around and does something unexpected and vice versa. His letter had caused that for her and what she was about to do would be it for him.

Noticing a change in her expression, he began to get concerned. "What?" he asked wearily.

Leaning forward in her chair, Hermione tried not to smirk. "I have an idea. It's completely bonkers but I need you to trust me anyway, okay?"

"That depends on what it is…" he said still weary.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes: how do you feel about coming to the Order with me?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Happy Easter/Passover, my lovelies! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and if you don't celebrate either, then I hope that you have a wonderful Sunday! Thank you all for your amazing reviews! Please keep them coming, I love to know what you guys think! Anywho, enjoy the chapter and have a great week!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 3:**

It took a lot of convincing to get Draco to go with her to meet the Order. At first he agreed with her that her idea was bonkers and said that if anyone from the Order got within 10 feet of him, they'd hex him from London to Antarctica. They argued about it for an hour and Draco only gave in when Hermione threatened to turn him into a ferret and drag him to the Order herself. He muttered to himself the entire time as they walked to a secluded area through muggle London to apparate to Grimmauld Place.

After they arrived, Draco froze in his place out of fear and worry. He couldn't help but feel like what they were about to do was the worst idea on the planet but Hermione was determined and managed to drag him into the building. Despite the fact that Grimmauld Place belonged to the Black family (which Hermione had mentioned while trying to convince him), he still felt very uneasy when walking through the door frame. He shrunk back into the shadows so no one would see him as Hermione went into the dining room to ensure that everyone was there.

It was 5 'o'clock on Wednesday which meant that all the Order members would be at Grimmauld Place to go over what news had arrived over the week. When Hermione entered the dining room, she saw that everyone was at the table talking amongst one another while Ginny, Fleur, and Mrs. Weasley were in the kitchen. Kingsley Shacklebolt was at the head of the table with Harry and Ron sitting on his right as they looked over the most recent edition of the Daily Prophet. Tonks was talking animatedly with Mr. Weasley and the twins while Bill and Lupin were quietly talking amongst themselves. Harry was the first to notice Hermione's presence.

"Hey Hermione!" he said!

She gave him a small smile and said hello back to the rest of the group. When Mrs. Weasley offered Hermione some food, she politely declined and took a deep breath. "If everyone could quiet down for a moment please, I have something I need to say. And it's not exactly easy."

Everyone immediately went silent and looked at her expectantly as she figured out what she would say. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Today, I found out some very valuable information for our cause. Only… only it came from an unexpected source."

"What kind of source, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"That's the tricky part. And frankly, if I tried explaining it to you, you would think I'd have gone mad. So… I figured it would be better to just show you instead. But I need you all to promise me that, no matter how shocking what I show you is, that you won't act irrationally or do anything crazy like send a hex my way, okay? I promise, this will all make sense soon. But for now, I need you to trust my judgement."

There was an uneasy mumble amongst everyone as they looked at each other confused but they all nodded and agreed, nonetheless. Hermione took a deep breath. "Okay; just wait here." As she walked away, she sent a shield charm up around the room in case someone decided to send a hex her way anyway. She hated to do that but she needed to ensure that she and Draco were safe from any irrational actions that someone (most likely Ron) would commit. She found him in the shadows right where she left him.

"You ready?" she asked quietly.

He snorted in response but inside he was terrified. He had no idea what would happen or if anyone would willingly listen. But he knew he had to do this for his mother so he followed Hermione to the dining room. She stopped in the doorway and he stopped a little ways behind her but could see far enough into the room that he could see everyone's shocked faces, let alone hear all their gasps. Sure enough, a spell immediately went flying towards them but, thankfully, Hermione's shield charm worked. It dissipated as soon as it hit the charm and all Draco could see was Ron Weasley's angry yet confused face. He used all his self control to not let a smirk escape at how dumb the redhead looked.

His thoughts were broken when he heard the small witch next to him yell "Ronald!"

"Are you insane?!" the redhead yelled back at her. "What the hell are you thinking?! Bringing a Death Eater into the safe house?! Have you lost your bloody mind?! I-" His sentence cut off as he made eye contact with the Slytherin. "You have her under the Imperius, don't you, you bastard?!"

Before Draco could get a word in, Hermione cut him off matching Weasley's tone and volume. "He does not have me Imperiused, you idiot! I have a very logical reason for bringing him here!"

"Would that logical reason be to kill us all?!" he screeched.

"ENOUGH!" a booming voice said.

Everyone looked towards Lupin who was standing now. Next to his wife, he seemed to be the only person in the room who wasn't shocked or angry that Draco was in the house. He looked at the Slytherin before looking between Hermione and Ron. "I'm sure there is a very plausible reason why Hermione has brought Mr. Malfoy here, Ron. But just to ensure that she is indeed _not_ under the Imperius curse or under any other curse," he zeroed in on Hermione now, "Miss Granger, who are the Marauders and what are their forms?"

Hermione gave a small smile to her former professor. "Moony is you, werewolf, Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew, rat, Padfoot is- _was_ Sirius Black, black dog, and Prongs was James Potter, stag." she said as she looked at Harry as she mentioned his father. He had been looking at his hands but his eyes met hers when she began to list off the Marauders and he gave her a small smile. She could tell he knew it was her. Lupin seemed satisfied as well. He sat back down and looked at Ron. "There you have it. It's Hermione. Now would you please sit down so we can hear what information she and Mr. Malfoy seemed to have gathered?"

Ron muttered something under his breath as he sat down and crossed his arms across his chest. Glaring at her friend, Hermione looked at everyone in the room. Everyone either looked shocked, suspicious, or nervous. Everyone except Lupin and Tonks. She suspected Lupin was calm because she knew he trusted her judgement, but she couldn't figure out why Tonks looked so calm. Until she remembered that Tonks and Draco are cousins; and they were both in the House of Black. Both of them had blood relations to this house and to each other. Only Merlin knew how this could end up.

But it looked like they were about to find out. Draco and Tonks had made eye contact now and they didn't take their eyes off each other even as she stood up and walked towards where they were standing. She looked so small compared to Draco who towered over her. They looked at each other a bit longer before Tonks gave him a small smile.

"Hey Drake." she said quietly.

The corners of his mouth perked up slightly at his cousin but not enough to even be a smirk. "Hey Dora." he replied with the same tone.

Tonks looked at Hermione. "Can you take the shield down please? No one's going to hurt him. I promise."

Hermione glanced at Lupin who nodded before taking down the shield. As soon as it came down, Tonks pulled Draco into a hug. It had been so long since he had experienced human interaction that didn't involve screaming and injury that at first he didn't know what to do but after a minute he hesitantly wrapped his arms around his cousin and returned the gesture. He didn't know it at the time, but Tonks opened up a whole new world for him at that moment.

As she pulled out of the hug, she gave him one last small smile before turning around and facing the table with a look of determination on her face. "No one hurts him. We sit silently and listen to what he has to say. Understand?" Draco raised an eyebrow at how defensive his cousin immediately became of him and although he'd never admit it out loud, he was grateful.

Ron scoffed and everyone looked at him. "Problem Weasley?" Tonks challenged.

"Yeah, actually." he said staring her down. "He's a bloody Death Eater and a ruthless person! How can you stand there and defend him as if he's never done anything wrong?"

Tonks looked back at her cousin before looking at Ron once again. "His past may not be spotless but he's still family. And you don't turn your back on family. As a Weasley, you should understand that better than anyone, Ron." she spoke quietly but with enough fierce determination in her voice that Ron leaned back in his chair and muttered angrily to himself.

_Ever the Hufflepuff_. Draco thought to himself as he thanked Merlin for Tonks' loyalty to her estranged cousin. His lips quirked into a small smirk as he thought how different his cousin was from the rest of the Black family line. If it was anyone else, they would have shunned him and maybe even kill him for being weak and coming to the other side. But not Dora; the Tonks family had always been more understanding and fair and for that he was grateful that he had an ally with him on this insane task he had given himself.

Tonks grabbed Draco's hand and led him to a chair next to hers and sat him down before taking her seat between her cousin and her husband. Trusting that Draco was in good hands, Hermione walked towards Kingsley and handed him the notebook (she took out the page holding the information on the horcruxes out while they were still at the cafe; that information was confidential between Harry, Ron, her, and now Draco) in which she took all of her notes; she would give him the tape recorder later. "These notes hold everything that Malfoy told me. I gave him Veritaserum so everything he said is the truth." Hermione said.

Kingsley raised his eyebrows at the young witch. He was impressed at the lengths she went to to get the information she needed. He nodded at her and said thank you and began to look through her notes. Hermione walked off and ignored the empty chair next to Ron and sat in the empty chair on the other side of Draco, ignoring the surprised looks from everyone in the dining room, including Draco. Despite the fact that they were by no means friends or even acquaintances, Hermione felt the need to protect the Slytherin. She blamed it on her determination; she had started something with Malfoy and she would ensure that it would be finished.

After everyone settled in the dining room, Draco began his story starting from the night of the Astronomy Tower. He explained everything as he had to Hermione in the cafe, only leaving out the small detail of his information on the horcruxes and his intention to rescue his mother. He also left out his defense speech against Snape. He figured Potter might throw a hex at him if he defended their former teacher. Hermione, for her part, remained silent for the entirety of his speech. Most of what he said was exactly the same as he told her under the Veritaserum and she said nothing at the parts that he left out, understanding and respecting why he did.

When he finished, the dining room was silent. Hermione couldn't remember the last time that the entire Weasley family was speechless and she wasn't sure that she liked it. During his speech, Kingsley had been sifting through Hermione's notes and seemed to be pleased that they matched his story. Although he didn't trust Draco by any means, he could see why Hermione had been willing to listen to his story and saw him as an asset to the cause.

"Well Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said as he placed Hermione's notes down, "your story coincides with Miss Granger's perfectly and if she placed you under Veritaserum, then you were obviously telling the truth. It seems you could be a very valuable asset to our cause."

Everyone looked at him with surprise, except Harry and Ron who looked at him with disgust, but before anyone could get a word in, Kingsley put a hand up to keep everyone silent. "That being said, we will need to take necessary precautions to ensure that you will not betray us and send information to the Dark Lord. Therefore, you will stay here in Grimmauld Place, under house arrest, where we can ensure your safety while confirming that you won't give away any information to the Dark Lord or any Death Eaters. Do you accept these terms, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco wasn't surprised when Kingsley gave him his terms. If he was honest, he was expecting something much worse than what he was given. Considering that he would be staying in the House of Black, though, he didn't mind his conditions. He could survive house arrest here; it'd be better than house arrest at the manor, that was for sure. "Yes sir." Draco said nodding.

"Good. Mr. Potter if you would call Kreacher please?" Kingsley said looking at the Gryffindor.

Harry nodded, stood up, and spoke for the first time since Hermione first arrived in Grimmauld Place. "Kreacher." he said.

A small and wrinkly house elf entered the dining room and looked towards Harry. "Yes, Master Harry?"

"Mr. Malfoy, here, will be staying here for a while. I would like you to take him upstairs and show him to one of the available bedrooms where he will be staying, please." Harry said, kindly but sternly. Draco raised his eyebrows when Potter said please to the house elf but then remembered that Hermione had her S.P.E.W thing back in Hogwarts and pretty much forced Potter and Weasley to join her so it wasn't that surprising that Potter followed through and was kind to the house elf.

Kreacher nodded. "Yes, Master Harry." He then looked at Draco and recognition dawned in his eyes. "If Kreacher may be so bold, Master Harry, but are you" he asked looking at Draco still, "_Draco_ Malfoy? Son of Narcissa Malfoy, formerly Black?"

Draco nodded wearily. "I am."

Kreacher gave a strangled sort of smile at the blond. "How joyous!" he exclaimed. "It feels wonderful to have another Black family member back in the House of Black once more! If you'll follow me, Mr. Malfoy." the house elf said as he wandered towards the doorway. Draco stood up wearily and once he was sure that no one would hex him, he followed Kreacher.

"Kreacher." they heard Harry say. Both the blonde and house elf turned around to face him. "Just because Mr. Malfoy is a member of the Black family, does not mean that you treat him better than anyone else here, understand? Malfoy is not here as a guest; he's here under obligation." Harry finished by looking Malfoy in the eyes as if to reassure the Slytherin one last time that he was not trusted. Draco gave a quick nod to his school nemesis and Kreacher gave one last "Yes, Master Harry." before turning back to the stairs.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy," another voice called. Draco resisted the urge to groan and roll his eyes as he turned back to the dining room and faced Kingsley, the source of the voice. "I will also need to take your wand. For precautionary measures."

Draco had forgotten that he had his wand on him. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it one last time, remembering how it felt in his hand, before handing it to Kingsley with the tip pointing at himself.

"Thank you." Kingsley said. Draco nodded and finally left the dining room following Kreacher upstairs to the room he would be staying in for Merlin knew how long.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Happy Sunday, lovelies! Yes, I realize that it's very early on Sunday (It's only 5 after midnight here) but I don't care. It's Sunday which means you guys get a new chapter! Yay! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews, you guys make me so happy knowing that you like the story! Also, little tip for the chapter: the song I imagined Hermione playing on the piano is Fields of Gold by Sting. Here's the link to the version I've been using as a reference: **_**_ watch?v=QUy9Ezj9Ebw&amp;list=PLHggqueXHeYUeL5O-PbMvwFwP_6qfoB84&amp;index=13. _**_**Enjoy!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 4:**

It had been three weeks since Hermione had brought Draco to Grimmauld Place. August was in full swing and those returning to Hogwarts this year (more specifically Ginny Weasley since Harry, Ron, and Hermione would not be returning much to the chagrin of Mrs. Weasley) were flocking to Diagon Alley to get supplies and prepare for what was sure to be an… interesting school year.

In the mean time, Draco had made himself as comfortable as one could be under house arrest. Since he had left everything behind, including some extra clothes, Tonks and Hermione had gone shopping for him, getting a mix of wizard and muggle clothing so he would have a bit of variety. They weren't the finest of clothing he had grown accustomed to as he grew up but he accepted them gratefully nonetheless, not daring to complain. He knew everyone in the Order was watching him, anticipating his next move, waiting for him to crack, lose his temper, or say something snarky or disrespectful. But he kept his mouth shut; literally. He hardly ever spoke except to Tonks, Kreacher, and occasionally to Hermione and mostly hid out in what was now his room.

It was a nice sized bedroom with a beautiful wide window that let in lots of light, a walk-in closet, a bedside table, a dresser, a bookshelf filled with a meager assortment of books, and, of course, a bed that, compared to sleeping in his prison of a home, felt like he was sleeping on a cloud. When no one was at the house, Draco took it upon himself to explore the House of Black. He discovered that although Grimmauld Place was smaller than Malfoy Manor, it still held the same dark demeanor that his old home did. The only plus was that he didn't get lost as easily in Grimmauld Place as he did at Malfoy Manor. He was also pleased to find other bookshelves throughout the house that had more books he could read and found a piano that he took upon himself to play when the house was empty.

When Order members were in the house, he stayed out of their way not wanting to bother them or be disturbed by them; he'd either camp out in his room reading a book or he'd sit at the piano and play. Normally everyone would leave him alone but occasionally Tonks would come and talk to him, even if he didn't respond to her. The first few times Tonks tried to get him to talk, it would be her just sharing information of what was going on in the world, how her day was, or what the Order was up to without any response from him. But when she told him that she was pregnant, she got a response: his eyes glanced up from the book that he had been reading and a ghost of a smirk played on his lips as he said congratulations. It wasn't much but Tonks knew that it was just beginning.

As the weeks continued, they were getting to the point of almost having full conversations. There were days that she could only get one or two words out of him and then there were days that he would put his book down and listen to her while responding with keen interest. Despite that they were cousins, the two had only seen each other once when they were children, so while Tonks tried to get Draco to open up more often, he still wasn't completely open to having a full conversation with her just yet. And despite her progress, Tonks couldn't get Draco to say more than a sentence to anyone else, especially Hermione. Despite their meeting and that she had brought Draco to Grimmauld Place, the two had hardly said a word to each other. They were civil and respectful but never went out of their way to have conversations. Hermione would occasionally bring Draco dinner as he never ate with the Order and he would thank her and that was the end of it. Everyone else never bothered to speak to him because they either didn't want to or knew that he wouldn't respond to them.

One morning, Draco woke to the sound of a piano playing softly throughout the house. At first, he smiled to hear the peaceful sound but then shot up out of bed as he realized that someone was in the house. Getting dressed quickly, he tiptoed downstairs to see who would be here at this hour. As he got close to the piano room (as he called it), he heard small sniffles and immediately recognized them as Hermione's. Peeking around the corner, he saw the brunette with her head down as she played a soft song on the piano while sniffing away what he assumed were silent tears. Not quite knowing what to do, he quietly backed away from the room letting her have her privacy, until he stepped on a creaky floorboard. He quietly cursed as he heard her gasp from inside the room.

"Hello?" he heard her voice crack. He stayed silent. "Malfoy?"

He peeked back into the room. She had wiped the silent tears from her cheeks but her eyes were still red and puffy. He stood in the doorframe, not quite standing in the room and scratched the back of his head as he said hello awkwardly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." she said, her voice remaining strong despite her broken appearance. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

He shrugged. "You did but it's fine." he said quickly not wanting to push his luck with her. She may have asked the question but that didn't mean he could give her a snarky answer like he usually would. "I needed to get up anyway." he added.

Hermione nodded. There was a silence between the two before Draco broke it. "I didn't know you played." he said nodding to the piano.

She looked at it and jumped slightly as if she remembered what she was sitting at. "Oh, yeah." she responded as she brushed a curl behind her ear. "I took lessons when I was a kid and fell in love with it. It's been awhile since I've played though with everything going on."

Draco nodded in agreement. Hermione sniffed again and looked out the window above the piano. Draco tried to resist his curiosity but couldn't help but want to ask what was wrong with her. He was fighting that urge, though, because if he asked, she'd start talking about how she was feeling and Draco was not one to talk about or _feel_ emotions. He was a Slytherin for Merlin's sake! And Slytherins did _not_ talk about their feelings or anyone elses for that matter; especially with Gryffindors or _Granger_ for that matter. But that still didn't curve his curiosity.

While he was internally arguing with himself, Hermione turned back to the piano and began playing again. It was a soft song, a lullaby almost. It started off with simple keys and then picked up into more complicated keys as the song continued. Draco had never heard of it, but he thought it was the most beautiful song he had ever heard. Hermione played it with such ease and grace it was as if the outside world didn't exist anymore. Nothing else mattered; the war, Voldemort, nothing. It all seemed so far away now as he listened to her play.

Even time seemed to stand still.

It was just a girl and her piano.

Draco had to give her props. He had never heard anyone play the piano so beautifully and be able to captivate him like she had. And she hadn't even been trying. It just seemed to come naturally to her. He never thought he'd see the day but he had a newfound respect for Hermione Granger and her incredible piano playing talent. When the song ended, the world came back to life; time started again, and the war continued to rage on outside the house walls. The peace that Hermione had created while playing was gone and reality was ever more real now. He realized that as he noticed that she was crying again and his curiosity grew as well. Finally he sighed internally and spoke.

"You okay, Granger?" he asked.

She jumped at his voice. She had been so wrapped up in the piano and her thoughts that she had forgotten that he was there. Wiping away the tears that had snuck out of her eyes, she looked at him and hoped her face didn't betray her too much. "I- I'm fine." she stammered as she sniffed.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're a horrible liar, Granger."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes but there wasn't any fire behind it. "What's it to you, Malfoy?" she asked strongly but quietly.

He shrugged again. "Just trying to make conversation. That's what you Gryffindor's do, isn't it? Make conversation." he teased.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and looked out the window again not bothering to comment. Draco was starting to get concerned (or as concerned as he could get for the girl); he just gave her an open invitation to give one of her witty replies that would lead them into some form of an argument but she completely just turned it down. Something was seriously wrong if she didn't retort.

Sighing, he walked over to the piano bench and sat down next to her. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye but didn't move except to put her head on her arms on top of the piano. Draco looked at her before looking at the piano. Careful not to touch her, Draco began playing _Heart and Soul_. Hermione smirked and chuckled at the song.

Draco smiled to himself as he played the cheerful song. He tried to hide his surprise when he saw Hermione move back and begin playing the second part of the song as it was a duet. The two immediately became in sync with their playing; it was as if they had been playing together for years. It just felt natural to have the other play their respective parts that they felt no need to even speak about where to start or stop the playing. Draco couldn't help but notice the small smile the curved on to Hermione's lips as she played. Although it wasn't much, she seemed to be in higher spirits than a few moments ago.

The smile remained on her lips as the song ended but the sigh she gave indicated that she was still feeling low. Draco huffed in exasperation. "What's wrong, Granger?"

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking because you're curious or because you feel obligated?"

Draco pretended to think about it for a moment. "The latter. Ow!" he said as she slapped his arm.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "You are such an ass." she muttered.

"Better than being a know-it-all." he mumbled.

"I'd rather be a know-it-all than a dumbass." she retorted.

He feigned hurt. "That hurt, Granger."

"You'll get over it."

Draco bit his lip. "Well then. Angry beaver." he said under his breath.

"Snake."

"Porcupine."

"Ferret."

He glared at her. "Now you've gone too far."

She only gave him a satisfied smirk. "I win."

He scoffed. "Only _you_ would turn this into a competition, Granger."

She shrugged. "Gotta do something to pass the time, right?" she said as she got up from the piano and walked out of the room. Draco stayed at the piano for a moment watching her as she left. That was the first time that the two of them had had a moderately pleasant conversation, even if they were calling each other names. There had been no screaming or hexing each other, just playful banter. Draco hated to admit but he preferred that kind of conversation to their usual exchanges.

Hearing shuffling in the kitchen, he realized that he hadn't eaten yet and decided to follow the noise. When he walked in, he found Hermione setting up the kettle with water and placing it on the stove. He walked past her and grabbed a package of bread and placed it in the muggle machine called a toaster that Harry had installed some time ago. Since he didn't have his wand, Draco took it upon himself to learn things he hadn't needed to before such as laundry, cooking, and using a toaster (which Kreacher called the Devil Box). He couldn't help but agree. The first few times that he had used it, he burned his toast so badly that the kitchen smelled for the rest of the day. It took more than a couple of tries until he finally mastered the art of not burning his bread. Still, even if he had mastered this machine and toasted his bread perfectly all the time now, Draco was still weary of the contraption. He shook his head as he thought of the strange things that muggles created. He guessed they had to manage without magic somehow though.

He could feel her eyes watching him but he didn't turn around. He knew if he did, he would make a snide remark that would cause them to get into an argument and end with her running to Shacklebolt and having him get kicked out and given back to the Death Eaters and probably killed. No, he would not give them that satisfaction. He had a job to do and he'd be damned if he didn't finish it.

When he felt it was safe, he turned around and saw that Hermione was no longer looking at him and focusing intently on stirring her tea. He heard the toaster go off but ignored it as he continued to watch her with curiosity. He was still amazed that the girl he fought with and bullied all throughout his school years would willingly hear his side of the story and then risk everything to bring him to Grimmauld Place to protect him while the war raged on just to get some information that could help their cause. He had severely underestimated the girl and what she could do.

He opened his mouth to speak but was unsure of what he would say. He wasn't in the mood to start arguing with her but he wasn't about to be friendly and make nice with her either. Merlin knew where he would be after all this was over but something told him that he wouldn't stay in contact with anyone in the Order. Still, the silence was starting to bother him and he needed to end it before it drove him crazy.

"Granger." he said, something coming into mind.

"Hm?" she said as she poured sugar into her tea.

"Have you spoken to Shacklebolt about my mother? Getting her out, I mean?"

Hermione dropped her spoon and lowered her head as she gripped the edge of the counter to hide her shaking and even her breathing. Draco looked at her confused and somewhat concerned, unsure if she was having a panic attack of sorts or Merlin knew what. He had seen her freak out but he'd never seen her act like this. He wasn't sure what to do. So he stayed back where he was and just let what was going on pass.

"Or not…" he said wearily and slightly annoyed. "Look, Granger if it's going to be a problem-"

"No, no, no." she said shaking her head furiously and speaking quickly. "It's fine. I haven't had a chance to ask Kingsley but I will. Tonight." She didn't look at him. She continued to stare at her tea as if trying to read the leaves but her eyes seemed to have trouble focusing. Suddenly her head snapped up and she rushed out of the kitchen with a quick goodbye to Draco and ran out of the house with a slam of the door.

Draco raised his eyebrow at where she stood but shook his head. _She always was a bit nutty_, he thought. But she said that she would talk to Shacklebolt about his mother so he let it be. Putting the encounter in the back of his mind, he turned around and buttered his toast and wandered back to the piano room to begin his day of solitude.


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Holy crap on a cracker, Batman! Finals are less than two weeks away! What happened to the semester?! Yeesh! Also, speaking of Batman, did you guys see the Man of Steel sequel trailer? It looks better than I expected. I can't wait to see it! Anyway, here's the next chapter! Once again, it's uploaded at the early hours of Sunday morning because I'm a night owl and I like staying up late! All the creative juices flow better at night anyway. Alright, that's all for now. Thanks for all the reviews guys! Please, keep them coming! **_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 5:**

Draco was impressed. Despite her strange reaction when he asked her about it, Hermione had stayed true to her word and talked to Shacklebolt about getting Narcissa out of the Dark Lord's clutches. After the Order meeting that day, he approached Draco and asked to speak with him privately. The two spoke for over an hour about where Narcissa was, how tight security was around Malfoy Manor (where she was located), what Voldemort had her doing, what would happen if she _was_ rescued, and any other details Shacklebolt or Draco thought were necessary to discuss. At the end of the meeting, Shacklebolt didn't make any promises to the Slytherin but promised that he would see what he could do which Draco accepted understandingly. He knew he was asking a lot from the Order but Draco left the Dark Lord's clutches in the first place to protect his mother so he would take what could get.

As for Hermione, she acted like her outburst never happened. She continued to bring Draco dinner on Order meeting nights and would give him a small smile if their paths ever crossed while in Grimmauld Place. She came by once or twice during the week to stock up the house for Order meetings and for Draco's use when no one else was there but she avoided the piano room and they hardly spoke to each other except for greeting one another.

As September and Hogwarts started, the Order meetings started to frequent less often. Security at the Ministry had grown extremely tight and everyone's work loads had increased tenfold making it difficult for Order members to communicate. Draco woke one rainy morning with the Daily Prophet by his door. He nearly fell over when he saw the headline story.

_**Many dead after explosion at Ministry. More missing.**_

_At least one hundred people are dead this morning after an explosion at the Ministry of Magic last night. What caused the explosion or why it happened is still unknown to Aurors and investigators though it has been suspected that this is the work of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, however Aurors declined to respond to these suspicions. Those injured in the attack were moved to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries while those not injured were kept at the Ministry for questioning, however, many Ministry workers are missing. There has been no indication that the missing are possibly dead but no further information has been given at this time. We will continue to update readers as new information is released. _

Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. This is exactly what he was running away from. He had no doubt that Voldemort was behind the explosion but what killed him was that he suspected his father was among the Death Eaters that instigated the attack. He felt sick. Were his father and the other Death Eaters so blinded by their prejudices that they would willingly kill innocent people?

Crumpling up the paper in frustration, he grabbed some clothes and went to take a cold shower to clear his head but no avail. His mind kept racing from the article. He briefly wondered if anyone from the Order was injured or one of the casualties from the attack but if he was being honest, the only person he really cared if they were injured or not was Tonks. Not only was she family but she was also the only one who treated him like he was human who made mistakes from the beginning. Okay, so maybe she wasn't the only one who was treating him that way since Hermione was trying to make an effort too but Tonks was the only one that mattered. Anyway, although he wouldn't say it out loud, he appreciated his cousin and her efforts.

When he was done, he went downstairs to make himself some coffee as he wasn't that hungry after reading the Prophet. He stopped short when he got the dining room, however, but then mentally slapped himself for not thinking about it earlier.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the dining room. Harry was looking over the Daily Prophet while Ron looked like he was about to burst with fury. Hermione was standing in the back of the room staring out the window biting her nail. None of them noticed his entrance. All three were completely silent; the only sound was the rain falling outside.

Not sure how to break the silence, Draco cleared his throat. All three looked at him.

"Who died?" he asked.

Wrong question. Ron practically flew over the table towards Draco but Harry pulled him back to keep him from attacking Draco though the glare from him looked like if he said the wrong thing, he'd let Ron do whatever he wanted to their school mate.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ron bellowed. "How could you even _ask_ that?! You think you're funny Malfoy? People are _dead_ because _your people_ decided to cause an explosion at the Ministry! Half the Wizarding world is terrified and in hiding now because this is officially war and you stand there like it's just another day! What the _bloody hell_ is _wrong_ with you?!"

"I wasn't trying to be funny, Weasley." Draco spat. "In case you forgot my cousin happens to work at the Ministry and I was concerned about her well being! You know, since she's pregnant and all!"

Ron snorted. "_Concerned_. Bollocks! The only person you've ever been concerned for is yourself! You haven't seen Tonks in, what, 13 years? Your family hasn't even considered her family for longer than that! You're not _concerned_ about her, Malfoy; you don't care about her at all! You just want us to think that you care so we'll help you find your precious mother and save your ass from Azkaban!"

Now he had gone too far. Draco hadn't even realized he had moved until he was face to face with Ron. "Listen _Weasel_," Draco said darkly. "I don't care what you think about me or my intentions. I don't need your approval. Hell, I don't _want_ it! But Tonks and I not seeing each other for 13 years was my grandmother's idea; not mine. You have a problem with that, you can take it up with her portrait down the hall. But do _not_, under any circumstances, talk to me about my mother. You don't know what we've gone through this past year and you don't know the lengths I will go to in order to protect her. So before you open your big mouth again, it would be wise to think before you speak. I may not have my wand, Weasley, but I can still crush you."

The room was silent again as the two men stared each other down. Harry was still holding onto to Ron but watched the encounter closely in case he needed to step in. Draco and Ron's eyes never left each others as they waited for the other to make a move. Both Hermione and Harry knew that Ron was probably terrified of Draco right now but he was doing one hell of a job hiding it. The silence continued for a few more moments.

None of the three noticed that Hermione had moved until she put her hand on Ron's back and gently pulled him back from his proximity with Draco. As he moved away, Draco leaned back from the table and stood up straight not losing his fierce facial expression. He watched as Hermione whispered something in Ron's ear and led him to the kitchen, not looking at Draco as she walked away. Harry watched them leave and heard Hermione put up a silencing charm around the kitchen. He then rounded his gaze on Draco. The two stared at each other for a moment waiting for the other to speak.

"Is she okay?" Draco asked hiding any concern he felt for his cousin from his voice.

Harry nodded and responded in the same tone. "Yes, she's fine. She and Lupin are hiding at one of the safe houses we have set aside in case anything like this happened."

Draco nodded. "And the rest of the Order?"

"All safe. Kingsley found out about the attack shortly before it happened at sent a message to all the Order members and everyone else he could think of to help them escape in time. Unfortunately, some of the others he sent the message to didn't make it."

The Slytherin nodded and he turned Harry's words over in his mind. The Order was safe and so were some others but people still died. His stomach churned as he thought of the Ministry. It was clear that no where was safe anymore. Not even Hogwarts, where he assumed some of his fellow Slytherins were at right now. But now the wizarding world was at war and there was no escaping the dangers that lied outside the house walls now. How he got mixed up in this whole mess, he'd never understand.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts he remembered that Harry had said that Shacklebolt had found out about the attack prior to it happening. "How'd Shacklebolt find out about the attack?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. I asked him and he said he heard it from someone. That's the only information I got from him before he had to end our floo call."

Draco bit his cheek as he thought about that but didn't get very far in his thoughts because Hermione and Ron walked back into the dining room. Ron seemed to have calmed down a bit but his face still matched his hair. Glaring at Ron, Hermione walked towards Draco, grabbed his arm and led (well more like dragged) him out of the room to the piano room. Pushing him in, she cast a silencing charm over the room before turning on him and staring him down.

"'_Who died?_'" she asked incredulously. "Are you insane, Malfoy? You couldn't think of a better question to ask?"

"Forgive me, Granger, I'm not one to analyze my every thought like you do." Draco responded. "And it was a genuine question! It's not my fault Weasley lost it. And speaking of which, why the hell did you have to tell him that I was trying to rescue my mother?! I asked you to talk to Shacklebolt, _not_ the Boy Wonder and his ginger sidekick!"

"I _did_ talk to Shacklebolt and only him!" Hermione defended. "Ron took one of Fred and George's damn extendable ears and listened in to the conversation! Then he ran off to Harry and told him!"

"Does anyone else know?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Granger? Are you absolutely positive? Because if anyone else finds out what I'm trying to accomplish, it could get back to the Dark Lord, he'd kill my mother on the spot, and everything I've done would be for nothing." He hid the desperation from his voice well but Hermione could see it in his eyes. He'd never admit it out loud but he was scared. They all were. Everything was on the line for everyone now and Draco was no exception.

"I'm positive, Malfoy." she said reassuringly. "I yelled at both of them thoroughly and promised that I would hex them if they said anything. They're my two best friends, Malfoy, I trust them with my life-."

"So you're saying I should trust them with my mother's?! You know the track record we have! Hell, you're part of it! How the hell am I supposed to believe that they would keep their traps shut to keep her safe?!"

"In case you're forgetting, _Malfoy_, Harry's parents were murdered by Voldemort! I know the last thing in the world he would want would be the same to happen to anyone else and that includes you_,_ even if your track record isn't spotless! He understands-"

"No he doesn't! He doesn't understand at all! Potter's been an orphan all his life, he doesn't know what it's like to fear for his family! He _has _no family!"

"I am his family! So are the Weasleys! He knows exactly what it's like to feel like to have a family at risk. All of us do, so don't you _dare_ think, for one second, that you're alone in this! My parents no longer know that I exist! I had to wipe their memories of me and shipped them off to Australia to keep them safe! The Weasleys, who have been a second family to me for my entire wizard life, are in hiding even _I _don't know where! All of us are taking risks to protect the ones we love so it's time you stopped wallowing in your self-pity and manned-up! You want to save your mother? Stop hiding in your room and start fighting!"

Draco was dumbfounded. He had never been spoken to like that before and he had never expected that from the Gryffindor Princess. Her face was red, her uncontrollable curls looked like a lion's mane around her, and she had a fire in her eyes. Draco would've been intimidated had he not been infuriated. Problem was, he didn't know who he was angry at: himself or Hermione. He was angry at her because of what she had said but he was angry at himself because he knew she was right. He had been so absorbed in his own problems that he hadn't bothered to think about what anyone else might be going through. He didn't want to. He was Draco Malfoy and he didn't care about anyone else but himself (and a few select others). Worrying about other people was not in his nature. He had spent so long surviving for himself that the idea of thinking about someone else was foreign to him. The only people he allowed himself to worry about was his mother and, now, Tonks. Anybody else… well he never let himself get too wrapped up in those thoughts.

But the idea of trusting Potter and Weasley with this secret task he had given himself was downright aggravating. He wouldn't have even told Hermione in the first place had she not put him under Veritaserum. He didn't like so many people knowing, even if it was only four people. He felt exposed as more people learned of his intentions and he didn't like feeling vulnerable. It was by no means a comfortable feeling.

Yelling in anger, he punched the wall then yelped in pain as he pulled his now bleeding hand toward himself. He cursed under his breath as he felt his hand, pretty sure it was broken. Hermione sighed and shook her head at the blonde and her expression softened when he punched the wall. When she saw that his hand was bleeding she took a step forward to him, putting her hands up when he looked at her suspiciously. She cautiously took another step towards him and then another until she was right in front of him. She reached out towards him but stopped briefly when she saw him tense up.

"You might want to try trusting someone, Malfoy. It might save your life someday." she said quietly. Draco almost flinched at how soft and quiet her voice was compared to how it had been just a few moments ago. For some reason he couldn't fathom, when she reached out to him again he didn't tense. She lightly took his hand in hers and examined his handy work.

"It's definitely broken but I think you did more damage to the wall than your hand." she muttered. He looked at the wall and noticed that there was a hole in it now where he had made impact. He chuckled to himself but was cut short by a sudden pain in his hand.

"Argh!" he exclaimed looking between the brunette and his hand which immediately felt better as the pain passed.

"Sorry!" Hermione said quickly. "I figured it would hurt less since you weren't focusing on it. It worked when I broke my toe once. Anyway," she summoned a cloth and wrapped it around Draco's hand, "keep your hand wrapped for a while and the bleeding should stop shortly."

As she continued to mend Draco's hand, he couldn't help but ask a question that appeared in his mind. "Granger."

"Hm?" she asked not looking up.

"The day I asked you about talking to Shacklebolt about getting my mum out… was that the day you sent your parents off?"

Her hands froze. Taking a deep breath she bit her lip and nodded. He nodded in return. "You'll probably hex me for this but," he began, "I have to admit, Granger, that is extremely impressive that you pulled off that difficult of an obliviation charm. Not many experienced wizards can do that."

She looked up at him in disbelief for a moment before the corner of her mouth went up a bit as she tried to control the nervous laugh that was bubbling behind her lips. "Um… thanks."

The two stood there in silence looking into each other's eyes, silver searching chocolate brown. They both seemed to be searching for something, though neither knew what that something was. It wasn't until now that they realized how close they were to each other; Hermione was still holding Draco's damaged hand as well. With what seemed like a lack of self control from both parties, they started to lean in to each other. Just as their lips parted, a tapping on the window startled them back into reality and causing Hermione to jump.

They both looked to the window and saw a large barn owl tapping on it with its beak. Hermione dropped Draco's hand and walked to the window to open it. The owl dropped off what looked like a roll of paper, Hermione gave it a few treats from the bowl by the window and it took off again. Picking up the paper the owl dropped off, Hermione opened it and began to read the front page of what Draco assumed was the Daily Prophet.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hermione took a shaky breath. "I-It's the Prophet. New information has been released about the explosion at the Ministry." She handed it to Draco, careful not to touch him, so he could read the headline. He heard Hermione utter a quick reparo charm to the wall to fix it and then cleared her throat so he would look at her.

"I think you should tell Harry and Ron what you told me about the Horcruxes." she said avoiding his gaze.

Draco scrunched up his face in disgust of the idea. "You knew it would come up eventually, Malfoy." she said putting her hands on her hips. "It might as well be sooner rather than later."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

And with that, Hermione broke the silencing charm around the room and walked past Draco without looking at him. "Granger." he called when she was in the door frame.

She reluctantly turned towards him.

"Thanks." he said awkwardly. "For fixing my hand, I mean."

She nodded and turned to leave again but was stopped short by his next words.

"You're right." he said, though why he was admitting this to the Gryffindor Princess, he had no idea. "I won't win this by hiding out in my room and hoping that it will end without my involvement. I'm tired of running away. I meant what I said when we met at the cafe; I want to fight. I want to help. And I'm ready to do what it takes to end this nightmare. But trust... trust is difficult for me, Granger. Always has been. So asking me to trust someone or vice versa, is like asking a Hippogriff to tap dance."

She looked at him a moment before speaking. "Trust takes time, Malfoy, just like everything else. For you, it may be harder than for most people. But it is possible. For now, try to trust me." she offered.

"Do _you_ trust me?" he challenged.

She smirked. "We'll find out, won't we?" she said cryptically. She left the room with Malfoy following close behind, Daily Prophet in hand, back to the dining room where he would explain what he knew about Horcruxes and they would read the new developments in the paper about the explosion both of them putting their almost kiss into the back of their minds for the time being.

* * *

_**PS: This is not a Ron bashing fic, for anybody who was concerned. I love Ron, he's one of my favorite characters in the series. So worry not, my fellow Ron lovers! I won't put a bad light on our favorite Ginger (even though he's tied with Ginny in my book). **_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_****A/N: You guys are so amazing! I woke up Sunday morning with 13 emails and more than half of that was from you guys following/favoring the story so I've decided to give you guys a little treat: early update! Yay! Thank you guys so much for being so awesome! Have a wonderful Wednesday!****_

_****Tallyho!****_

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

Telling Harry and Ron what Draco knew about Horcruxes went easier than expected; but then again that might be because both boys were completely dumbfounded by what the Slytherin had to say. Draco had to resist from laughing when Ron's mouth fell open and instead made a snarky comment telling the redhead to close his mouth because of his bad breath.

Despite the initial tension in the room, it quickly dissipated as Harry and Ron became fascinated with the information Draco gave them. For one solid hour, they were no longer enemies; just boys trading information and fighting for the same cause. Hermione couldn't help but smile to herself as she saw her two best friends work with someone they claimed to hate. When they were done, Draco leaned back in his chair feeling accomplished. Ron was looking over all the information that they had written down while Harry struggled for words.

"Malfoy," he began, "I-I don't know what to say." It was clear that Harry was elated with this new information they had gathered. Draco couldn't help but smirk as it wasn't many times that the Boy Wonder was at a loss for words.

"You're welcome, Potter." he said confidently.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Draco unamused causing the Slytherin to chuckle. Hermione watched the interaction with interest. Despite their differences, Harry and Draco could make a dangerous but effective team if the time ever came that they had to fight together. She chuckled to herself as she thought that she would pay good money to see her best friend and his enemy working together.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked her when he heard her chuckle.

She shook her head. "Nothing, it's just" she said looking at Draco, "I suppose this makes us allies now."

Draco looked at her and thought about it for a moment before glancing at Ron and Harry across from him. Looking back at Hermione, he gave a small nod. "Yes, I suppose it does." he replied.

* * *

The next few days went by uneventfully. Well, maybe not completely uneventfully but only in subtle ways. For instance, the Golden Trio was constantly whispering amongst themselves and was always sneaking glances at Draco. Once he caught them in the kitchen talking animatedly but couldn't hear anything because a silencing charm had been placed on the room. When Hermione noticed him and he offered to come back, she quickly ushered Harry and Ron out of the room while telling Draco that it was no problem. He watched her, confused, but then brushed it off, dismissing it as something they used to do all the time at Hogwarts.

It wasn't until a sunny Saturday morning that he would know why the Golden Trio was acting secretive.

"Malfoy." he heard a soft voice call. "Malfoy. Malfoy? Draco. Wake up."

He groaned and rolled over in bed, burying his face into his pillow.

"Draco, wake up!" the voice called. He didn't respond. Suddenly, he was hit by something and he flew out of bed.

"Argh!" he yelled sitting up and breathing heavily out of surprise from the impact.

"Finally!" the voice called.

He looked up and found the last person he expected to be in his room staring at him and holding the pillow he assumed he was hit with. Groaning he fell back onto his pillow and put his arm over his eyes. "Granger. What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Get up." she replied.

He peeked out from under his arm. "Why?"

"If you come downstairs, you'll find out."

He reached over and looked at the clock on his dresser. "Merlin, woman! It's seven in the morning! Can't whatever it is, wait?"

"Nope." she said shortly. "Now get dressed and come downstairs."

"And what if I don't?" he challenged.

"I'm not leaving until you get out of bed, Malfoy." she replied confidently.

Groaning, he grabbed his pillow and covered his face in protest only to get smacked with the other pillow Hermione was holding again. "Okay, okay!" Draco yelled throwing the pillow he had on his face aside. Kicking the covers off, he stood up and looked down at Hermione whom he now towered over. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic." she said sarcastically careful not to look down since he was in his sleep clothes. Granted, looking at his shoulders up didn't help much since his usually clean cut hair was a mess and his shirt showed off his strong shoulders. Plus his voice when he first woke up was soft and unguarded compared to his usual strong and controlled voice. Hermione hated to admit it but she found it kind of attractive however she quickly rid her mind of the thought.

Draco noticed her shake her head slightly and smirked. "Like what you see, Granger?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. She grabbed the pillow with both hands and shoved it into Draco causing him to fall back down on the bed. "Granger! I never knew you felt that way!" he joked. She rolled her eyes again but Draco couldn't help but notice her blush as she began to walk out of the room.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, Malfoy." She said as he chuckled. "Oh! Before I forget," she said turning back around, "you'll be needing this." Draco looked down at what she was handing him and gasped as his eyes widened in disbelief. It was his wand. All humor was gone from him as he hesitantly reached out for it, fearing that Hermione would snatch it away from him and laugh maniacally. But she didn't. Her hand didn't move as he took his wand from her. His shoulders relaxed as he felt the warmth of his wand in his hand again. He smiled to himself as he was reunited with the only thing that made him feel normal- or as normal as he could feel.

He looked up at Hermione in disbelief. "Granger, h-how? I thought Shacklebolt had it?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "I pickpocketed it off of him after I brought you here and replaced yours with a fake. I've kept it on me ever since. I feel more comfortable knowing where it is and who has it rather than leaving it with someone where it could be stolen." she explained.

He looked at her impressed. "You pickpocketed a superior. How Slytherin of you." he mused.

She smirked. "Don't get used to it." She left the room but turned back to him at the door. "Make sure to wear comfortable shoes." And then she was gone. He raised an eyebrow at the weird request but shook his head. She wouldn't have bothered to wake him up if wasn't important. Putting the pillow she threw at him aside, he stood up and got dressed.

A few minutes later, Draco was walking downstairs, wand in hand, not planning on letting it go any time soon. It was a good thing too because as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, a flash of red came flying his way. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and sent up a shield charm to protect himself and watched as the spell fizzled away.

"Not bad." he heard a voice say. Draco opened his eyes (which he hadn't realized he had closed) to find Hermione smirking at him.

"Granger!" he bellowed taking down his shielding charm and walking towards her. "What the hell, woman!"

She shrugged. "We had to make sure your reflexes were still reliable. I'm glad to see they are."

"We?" he said before looking around the room. "Woah." he said quietly as he saw where he was standing now. What was usually the piano room had been transformed into a room the size of the Slytherin Common Room. The bookshelves, piano, and couch that were usually in the room had been traded for a big open space with a few ceiling high mirrors on the wall. Draco turned around in awe at the room. He had never seen a space like the one in front of him before. When he finally looked back at Hermione, he noticed two other guests with her that he hadn't seen in the room before: Harry and Ron.

Confused, Draco furrowed his brows. "Granger, what is this?"

She smirked. "You said you wanted to fight and here we are. We (all of us) are going to train and train hard in defending ourselves against Voldemort. We're not going to get anywhere by sitting on our asses and reading the Daily Prophet for updates. It's time we learn to trust each other because in the end, it may save our lives, including yours Malfoy. Like it or not, you're going to have to learn to play nice," she challenged the three boys as Draco scrunched his face, "because it may just do you all some good."

"Granger, you can't be serious." the blonde retorted. "You're asking for trouble. Potter and Weasley have been looking for an excuse to send a hex my way since First Year!"

"You better have good defense reflexes then." she said in finality. Draco blinked. _This is not going to end well._ he thought to himself as he gripped his wand tighter.

"Speaking of defense reflexes," Hermione started again, "we're going to work on defensive and protective spells today. In partners. One partner will be casting a defensive spell while the other will be protecting themselves and their partner from the other spell coming their way. All spells except Unforgivables and Sectumsempra are allowed. Ron, you're with me. Harry, you're with Malfoy."

"WHAT?!" both boys yelled in disbelief at the brunette. "Hermione, you can't be serious." Harry said.

"I'm very serious and I'm not discussing this anymore, Harry, now get over there." she said exasperated. Harry glared at his friend and muttered to himself as he trudged over next to the Slytherin. Draco couldn't help but groan inwardly. This day was not going well by any means.

Before either boy could say anything to one another a spell came flying towards them. Instinctively, Draco sent a counter spell while Harry put up a shield charm. The two froze as they looked at each other in disbelief. Neither could seem to fathom that they just protected one another. Hermione smiled in victory as she saw the two boys see that letting their instincts kick in instead of focusing on petty matters like school rivalries would allow them to work together quite well. She'd never admit it out loud, but this was secretly a test between the four of them to earn their trust with Draco and vice versa and it seemed to be working. But just to ensure, she sent another spell their way and Harry and Draco did the same thing again, except Draco threw up the shield this time while Harry sent a counter spell. Hermione and Ron glanced at each other as they all realized in that moment that this training would have its benefits after all.

The training went on all day. About half-way into the morning session, Hermione had Ron and Harry switch so that Draco and Ron could work together somewhat. Both boys were clearly uncomfortable with the idea but kept their mouths shut when Hermione glared at them. Draco and Ron were harder to get them to work with one another; both would either send a counterspell or both would put up a shield charm. At one point, neither did anything causing Ron to get smacked with a stunning charm. There was some angry yelling from both parties but after an hour of trial and error, they seemed to figure out a system that worked for both boys.

Around noon, the four took a lunch break, courtesy of Kreacher, and Draco ate with the three Gryffindors instead of hiding back out in his room. No one made a comment at the gesture but Hermione smiled to herself. It may have not meant anything to the boys, but she knew just having him eat lunch with them could not have been easy for his ego and was proud that they were cracking into the wall he always kept up.

After lunch, Hermione ushered the three of them back into the piano room for more training. This time, however, _she_ was Draco's partner. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or scared since she seemed to be in control of the situation at hand but he was about to find out. Suddenly, the hexes came much faster and more were being sent at one time that Draco was struggling to keep up. Hermione, however, was keeping up just fine. It seemed that with every spell Draco deflected, Hermione was already sending three more back to Harry and Ron.

Draco was starting to get irritated. He'd been shown up in just about every class in Hogwarts by Hermione but he'd be damned if she beat him at this too. Resolving to change the game, he threw a spell towards Harry without thinking about what he was casting.

"_Avifors_!" he yelled. Suddenly, Harry disappeared and where he was once standing, now stood a large Emperor Penguin; the only sign that it was Harry at all was the penguin's emerald green eyes. Hermione and Ron froze as they stared in disbelief at their best friend while Draco struggled to hide his laughter. Hermione looked at him with an expression mixed between confusion and incredulousness. He merely shrugged.

"You never said no transfiguration." he defended.

She looked back at her best friend whom Ron was now studying and then broke out into uncontrollable laughter. She couldn't explain what she found so funny about the situation but something about Harry Potter getting turned into a penguin was just hilarious to her. Ron chuckled a bit but was still curious about the penguin now standing next to him and Draco just silently laughed. As for Hermione, her abs were starting to hurt and her eyes were watering up as she tried to control her laughter but failed when Harry glared at her (or attempted to glare since penguins didn't have eyebrows). He squawked at her instead.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said breathing heavily and wiping the tears from her eyes as she regained composure despite her body shaking from the unreleased laughter, "it's just, well, you make such a cute penguin!"

At this, it was Draco's turn to laugh. He couldn't keep it in any longer. "I think you have a point there, Granger." he said while laughing. "Potter _is_ better looking this way. And he's quieter too!" Harry squawked again at this causing both Hermione, Ron, and Draco to laugh again but this time Hermione was able to regain her composure quicker.

"Okay, okay," she said, "I think poor Harry's gone through enough today. Do you know the counterspell?" she asked Draco.

He nodded, still silently laughing, and muttered something under his breath as a flash of light appeared from the end of his wand and turned Harry back into a human. As soon as Harry was normal looking again, he glared at Draco.

"A penguin?!" he said exasperated. "Really, Malfoy?"

The blonde chuckled. "Hey, look at it as revenge for turning me into a ferret Fourth Year."

"That wasn't even me! That was Moody! Or- Barty Crouch Jr. as Moody but that's not the point!"

Draco shrugged. "Details."

Harry continued to glare at Draco but the edges of his lips quirked up into a smirk which Draco returned. Hermione chuckled and muttered something under her breath while waving her wand. Suddenly, the room shrunk in size and the furniture returned causing Ron to fall over when the couch came back right behind him.

"Sorry Ron." she said as she helped him back up. "Alright, that's enough for today. I have to admit, I'm impressed. That went a lot smoother than I expected. So congratulations on not killing each other!" she gave an excited smile but it quickly fell as the boys just stared at her. "No? Okay, anyway, the point is, you all did a good job today. We've still a long way to go but today was a good start. Now go home, get some rest, and we'll continue on Monday."

"Monday?" Draco questioned. "How often are we going to be doing this?"

"Every day except Sundays and Wednesdays. Sundays are family days with the Weasleys and Wednesdays are usually Order meetings so we won't be training on those days for obvious reasons. Otherwise, every day will be just like today. So refresh yourself on defensive spells because we'll be working on everything there is to know."

Draco nodded. "Yes, Professor McGonagall." he mocked.

She raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "Very funny." she replied sarcastically as she began to walk out of the room with Ron and Harry following. They went into the second living room and Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder while stepping into the fireplace.

"Oh, you know what, I think I forgot something." Hermione said suddenly. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up later."

"You sure?" Ron asked.

She nodded and smiled at her two best friends as she watched them disappear behind a veil of green fire. When they were gone, Hermione walked back to the piano room. Draco was still there, standing at the bookshelf scanning the book in his hands. She leaned on the doorframe and watched him silently. She had never seen his posture so unguarded. His weight was on one leg and his shoulders relaxed. Even his face seemed tranquil but as she looked closer, she could see the strain in his eyes; he seemed to be struggling to focus.

"Is there a reason you're standing there, Granger, or are you just being a creep?" He said pulling her out of her thoughts. He wasn't looking at her but she could see a smirk growing on his lips.

She chuckled. "The former."

"Damn, and here I thought you were studying my devilishly handsome looks." he joked, looking up at her and closing the book.

She rolled her eyes but didn't respond. "Unless you _were_ studying my devilishly handsome looks…" Draco suggested.

Hermione snorted. "Actually, I was trying to figure out how such a massive ego can fit inside such a tiny head."

"You're one to talk." he retorted. "Your head's so huge, I'm surprised you can stand upright without falling over all the time."

"Easy. I wear cement blocks on my feet." she replied without missing a beat.

Draco furrowed his brows. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Hermione chuckled with victory.

"Hermione Granger makes Draco Malfoy speechless. Ten points to Gryffindor." she said causing him to shut his mouth as he narrowed his eyes at her. She chuckled again.

"Anyway, I just wanted to give you this." she said as she handed him an envelope. He put his book down to take it. It had a phoenix seal on it which Draco assumed it was from an Order member. "It's from Kingsley." Hermione explained, confirming his suspicions. "He sent it to me last night. I would've given it to you sooner but it would've been hard with Harry and Ron here."

He nodded as he opened the letter.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_I have kept this a secret for a while but since you brought Draco Malfoy to Grimmauld Place and seem to be in his confidence, I feel it is necessary to inform you that the Order has a spy among the Dark Lord's followers. For their protection, I shall not mention their name and shall refer to them in gender neutral terms to not give anything away. But I'm sure it will please you and Mr. Malfoy to know that our informant has received information on his mother, Narcissa. I mentioned to our informant that she is a valuable asset to our cause and I have asked him to keep an eye on her. Our most recent update is that she is very much alive, however, I regret to say that she is not all that well._

_Our informant tells me that she is weak, frail, and seems less and less lucid with each passing day. However, she is still at Malfoy Manor and our informant has remained there as a guard for the Dark Lord while keeping an eye on her. They seem to be close with the Malfoys so they have an excuse to be near her and ensure that she stays as healthy and alive as long as she can. _

_I'm sorry that I cannot give you more information at this time. I trust that both you and Mr. Malfoy will stay silent on the information I have just given you. I'm sure neither of you would want this information to get into the wrong hands. Please tell Mr. Malfoy that I will continue to try and get information on what it would take to get Narcissa Malfoy out but please know that I cannot make any promises on when or even _if _said rescue could happen. And don't worry, the informant does not know that Mr. Malfoy is with the Order at Grimmauld Place. All anyone knows is that he claimed to have gone off on a secret mission for the Dark Lord but has since gone missing._

_In the meantime, stay safe and I hope to have more information for you soon. Otherwise, see you at the next Order meeting._

_Sincerely,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

Draco was shaking as he finished the letter. _She's alive!_ he thought to himself as he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Taking a deep but shaking breath, he handed the letter back to Hermione and sat on the piano bench for support, fearing his legs would give out from the news.

"You okay?" Hermione asked concerned.

He merely nodded in response, not looking at her.

They were silent as Draco absorbed what he had just read. His mother was alive and the Order had someone on the inside protecting her. But who?

"Who's the informant?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I have no clue. Any idea on who might be close with your family but would also be a spy for the Order?"

He shook his head. "No, there's no one. Everyone who was close with them is working with the Dark Lord. Unless…" he trailed off.

"Unless what?"

He looked up at her. "Unless there was someone who needed to prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord but kept his true allegiance to the other side hidden…"

"Snape." they both said in unison.

"You don't really think-?" Hermione started.

"It's the only thing that makes sense!" Draco replied.

"But _how_?!" Hermione questioned. "Kingsley has no reason to trust him! He doesn't know about Snape and Dumbledore's agreement! Nobody knows the real story except you. Why would Kingsley put his trust in someone who killed Dumbledore?"

"It was a mercy killing." Draco reminded her.

"Yes, but the only people who know that are you, Snape, and now me. No one else knows that." she replied.

"Unless… it's possible one or both of them told Shacklebolt prior to the night of the Astronomy Tower. It would make sense as to why he would trust him to be the spy."

Hermione thought about that. "I suppose."

"I'm telling you, Granger, it has to be him. There's no one else in this entire world who would risk his life for us Malfoys."

She sighed and sat on the couch. "Okay, say it's him. That makes this easier and more complicated at the same time. It may be easier because now we have someone on the inside who can stay in contact with the Order and tell them where she is to get her out. It's also harder though because I'm assuming Snape is in close contact with Voldemort as well and if that's the case, it may be harder to get him alone for the rescue mission."

"_If _there's a rescue mission." Draco muttered bitterly.

"There will be." she said confidently.

"What makes you so sure?" he said skeptically. "You read what Shacklebolt said, he can't make any promises. And even if she _can _be rescued, who's to say that she'll still be alive by the time the mission would be green-lighted?! She's practically dying! The longer we wait, the the higher the chance that she won't survive." His breathing was starting to become shaky as he stared at the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair in order to calm himself down. He hadn't noticed that Hermione had moved until she sat on her knees on the floor in front of him.

"Draco," she said quietly. He looked up at her, his breath still uneasy, as she spoke his first name. She could see in his eyes that he truly doubted that he could save his mother. Her heart hurt as she saw his eyes well up with tears but he pushed them away before any slipped out. "Do you honestly believe that Snape would let your mother die?"

Not trusting his voice, he merely shook his head as he placed it back in his hands.

"It'll be okay." she reassured him. "I know it doesn't seem like it right now but everything will be okay in the end."

He groaned and stood up, stepping around Hermione to walk around the room. "God! You and your damn optimism! Would it kill you to face facts for once in your life, Granger? Not everything will be okay and you know it! So stop lying to yourself and everyone else and realize that we're living in hell and it's not going to improve anytime soon!"

"You think I don't know that?" she replied getting up from the floor. "Both of the worlds I grew up in are falling apart courtesy of Voldemort and until we destroy those horcruxes, we are helpless! But that doesn't mean I'm going to give in to the negativity that is surrounding us! Optimism is the only thing I have left that's keeping me sane, Malfoy! If I don't have that, I might as well check myself into St. Mungo's for going mad! I don't expect you to understand because you've been surrounded by darkness and negativity all your life-"

"Don't you _dare_, Granger. You know nothing about me or how I grew up-"

"And you know nothing about _me_! I didn't have it as easy as you! I was raised trying to balance two worlds in one life with parents and friends who didn't always understand what I was going through! And then being bullied by you didn't help either!"

"Oh poor you. I had to grow up with a monster for a father with extremely high expectations that I had no choice but to live up to while my mother stayed in the background not interfering. She only showed me compassion when he wasn't around! I grew up knowing that my father worked for the Dark Lord and was forced into the Death Eaters when he failed at the Ministry because your precious Potter's meddling! I've been forced to train to kill and nearly killed Albus Dumbledore! I've seen things that would give the darkest of wizards nightmares. You think your life was hard, Granger? You know nothing of hardship until you've spent your entire life in Malfoy Manor."

His eyes were dark with anger and his voice dripping with disgust. Hermione couldn't blame him. Frankly, she was disgusted with herself. She hated people who compared their lives to see who was more miserable as if it were a competition and yet, here she was instigating that exact type of conversation. She wanted to crawl under a rock and hide for eternity but instead she kept her head high and kept eye contact with him. She knew she was wrong, but her damn pride was in the way and wouldn't let her back down. The room stayed silent as the two glared at each other.

"Voldemort." she said finally.

"What?" he replied still clearly angry.

"You don't work for him anymore. You might as well call him by his name."

"Why does it matter? He'll kill me either way." And with that, he walked out of the room and ran up the stairs taking them two at a time.

"Running away from your problems won't help, Malfoy!" Hermione yelled at him in spite of herself. She was answered by the sound of a door slamming. She sighed and sat on the couch while grabbing a pillow and screaming her frustration into it.

As for Draco, he was doing the same thing into his pillow. When he was done, he threw the pillow aside and laid on his bed willing himself to fall asleep. Unfortunately, it didn't work; his mind was racing and he couldn't calm down. He was fuming. What did she know? Nothing, that's what. She didn't have to grow up with the horrors that he did. She was little miss perfect with no problems, no qualms, no nothing! No. All she ever worried about was her damn grades (and not getting killed whenever Harry dragged her into some stupid adventure but that was a different story). She knew nothing of pain or suffering. Of fear. Okay… so maybe she did but that was only because of Harry again. Wait, was he actually justifying her actions? _What the bloody hell, Draco?_ he thought to himself. He shook his head at himself and groaned in frustration.

Suddenly he heard steps walking up the stairs. Assuming it was Hermione, he stayed silent, willing her footsteps to fade. They stopped in front of his door but there was no knock. Instead there was a small sliding sound and then the footsteps started again but faded quickly. Only when Draco heard the distant roar of the fireplace did he dare to look towards his door. He saw a small piece of paper on the floor. Picking it up, he recognized Hermione's handwriting and saw one simple sentence on it.

_Keep your wand hidden._

Remembering that Shacklebolt still believed that he still had his wand, Draco pulled the familiar piece of wood out of his pocket and looked around his room for a good place to hide it. Finally his eyes laid upon a book in his room. Getting a closer look, he saw that the book was an old beat up copy of _Hogwarts: A History_. He knew it would be perfect to hide his wand in since no one would go looking into a dusty old book that everyone had read.

Putting the book back onto the shelf, he crawled back into bed and willed himself to sleep but to no avail. His mind kept racing and mostly about Hermione which was preposterous! Why would he lose sleep over _her_?! He blamed it on that she just pissed him off too much that he couldn't stop thinking about her but deep down knew he was lying to himself. For some bizarre reason, he couldn't get her out his head. Everything she did and was seemed to fascinate him. The way her eyes blazed when she was angry or determined, the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating, her undying loyalty to her two idiots of best friends were all pieces to the puzzle of her that he was trying to solve. But the biggest piece he couldn't seem to find was her fierce protection and confidence in him. She seemed to see things in him that he wasn't sure he saw them himself. It was clear she believed there was good in him but the fact that she would help him, train him, and learn to trust him despite the horrible way that he treated her throughout their school years was astounding to him. She was either an insane idiot, or she was the most brilliant witch on the planet. He had a sneaking feeling that it was the latter.

After dinner, a shower, reading of a book, and four uncomfortable hours of tossing and turning while not being able to turn his mind off, he finally fell into a dreamless but restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Wow! This is a really long chapter! Cool! Happy Sunday, everyone! For those of you (like myself) who have finals coming up super quick, I wish you the best of luck in studying and taking the finals! I've got one week of school left and then finals! Eek! Anyway, enjoy this lovely chapter!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

The next day passed quietly. The house was silent except for the sounds of Kreacher puttering around and mumbling to himself. Draco stayed in the piano room most of the day not particularly playing a specific song, just coming up with melodies that popped up in his head. Despite the distraction from the piano, he couldn't seem to get his mind to calm down. It was racing back and forth about many things but mostly about a particular brown-eyed Gryffindor and it bugged him. He kept telling himself that she was nothing special and the only reason she was on his mind was because she was helping him. But as he thought about that, he realized that he was now indebted to her for everything she had done for him.

And that's what set him off.

Yelling in anger, he slammed his hand on the piano keys before storming out of the room. He needed to get out of the house but couldn't. For the first time since he had arrived at Grimmauld Place, Draco was stir crazy. He wandered around the house for a while, venturing into rooms he hadn't been in before until he ended up back in his room. Frustrated, he turned back around and went downstairs. He ended up in the second living room where the fireplace was. Finding a bookshelf, he sighed in exasperation as he browsed through the selection. Eventually he grabbed a handful of books, sat on the couch and forced himself to focus on the book in his hands in hopes of keeping his mind off _her_ and his debt.

It worked.

Draco managed to keep his mind clear and spent the rest of the day reading the books he had grabbed. Eventually, he fell asleep on the couch, book still in hand, and that's how Hermione found him the next morning when she arrived at Grimmauld Place.

He was curled up in a ball while clutching the book with his hands. His breathing was soft and quiet while his face was relaxed and peaceful. Hermione smiled at the image. It wasn't often that Draco Malfoy was in a peaceful state and she couldn't help but relish the rare moment. It was a relief compared to his usual stern and cold self.

Speaking of cold, she noticed he curled smaller into a ball and realized that he didn't have a blanket. Conjuring one up, she lightly laid it on top of him to keep him warm. He noticeably relaxed once he felt the warmth. Smiling to herself she glanced at the book he was holding. _The Tales of Beedle the Bard. _

She smiled and then carefully and silently slid the book out of his grip. She picked up the other books that were scattered around him and placed them back on the bookshelf but left the one he had been holding on the table in front of him. After she tidied up, she walked into the kitchen to get some coffee started, unaware of the pair of grey eyes watching her.

When she left the room, he allowed himself a glance around his surroundings. At first he was confused because it didn't look like his room but then he remembered that he had fallen asleep in the living room last night. He gripped the blanket and pulled it closer to him and closed his eyes.

He had woken up when he heard the fireplace roar but kept his eyes closed willing himself to fall back asleep and praying that whoever had just showed up would leave him alone. And technically, she had. She had placed the blanket on him and cleaned up a bit but didn't wake him up. Well, intentionally at least. When he heard her shuffling around, his curiosity got the better of him and he opened his eyes slightly to see what she was doing. He smirked when he saw that she was putting the books away.

_An organized bookworm. Why am I not surprised?_ he thought to himself. He watched as she walked away humming happily to herself. He considered closing his eyes again to see if he could get some more sleep but was too awake now. Instead, he sat up and wrapped the blanket around him before walking into the kitchen where the smell of fresh coffee now filled the air.

She didn't look up when he entered.

"Morning." she said.

"Morning." he yawned.

"Coffee?" she offered, looking at him. She had to stifle her laughter as she looked at him. His hair was sticking up on one side, his eyes were still droopy with sleep, and the blanket around him made him look like a little kid with a makeshift cape.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Nothing," she said choking back laughter, "it's just… well, you look kind of ridiculous."

He thought about it for a moment then shrugged as he poured himself some coffee. She snorted at his nonchalance. Draco was never one to not look his best and the fact that he had no concern for his appearance at the moment was hilarious and strange to Hermione at the same time. She figured it was because he was still half asleep but she also had a feeling that house arrest and being near the Order was starting to loosen him up a bit.

_Nah,_ she thought, shaking her head. He raised an eyebrow at her but shrugged it off.

They were silent for a few moments as they both drank their coffee. Draco had still made no effort to clean up his appearance and Hermione was still struggling to keep a straight face. She chuckled a couple of times resulting in Draco rolling his eyes but no words were exchanged.

Finally, Hermione spoke. "Uh, Malfoy?"

"Hm?"

"I'm- I'm sorry. Can I fix that?" she asked gesturing to his hair. "It's bothering me."

"You got a thing against blonde's, Granger?" he raised an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. "No. You just look like a parakeet with your hair standing up like that."

He thought about that for a moment before leaning his head forward so she could reach him. "Do your worst. Just don't set my head on fire. I won't look good bald." he joked.

She shook her head and smirked as she attempted to comb his hair with her fingers. "I'm not Seamus, Malfoy. I don't set everything I touch on fire."

He grunted at that but said nothing else. He hadn't had anyone run their fingers through his hair since he was a little boy. In fact, the last person to do such an act was his mother when she was singing him to sleep. He remembered it like it was yesterday and to have Hermione be doing it now was making him feel nostalgic and strangely relaxed. She seemed to have that effect on him today.

And then all too soon, it was over.

"There. All fixed." she said proudly.

He lifted his head up and shook it causing her to glare at him. "Perfectionist." he smirked.

She stuck her tongue out at him which made him chuckle. "Mature."

"Yes, I am, thank you. Oh, and you're right. You'd look terrible bald."

He chuckled. "Told you."

She rolled her eyes and smirked as she took a sip of her coffee. They stayed silent as Kreacher passed through the kitchen with cleaning supplies in hand as he muttered to himself about "blasted giant feathers." Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco but he merely shrugged. She shrugged in return and walked to the sink to rinse out her mug.

"If someone was indebted to you, what would you have them do?" Draco asked before he could stop himself. She froze and looked at him confused. He mentally slapped himself. _Stupid stupid stupid. You idiot! _he thought.

"What prompted that question?" she asked cautiously.

_Think fast, genius. _"N- nothing. I was just curious. I had a dream about it and it was just on my mind."

"A dream." she said skeptically.

"Yeah." he said defensively. "A dream. And I was curious what you would do. You know, since you're so noble and whatnot."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll play along. What are the circumstances for this person to be indebted to me?"

He took a deep breath. "It's someone you never got along with. Someone you hated. But because you're you, you helped them out. Saved their life even. And now they're in your debt even if they're not happy about it." he muttered the last bit but she still heard it.

He could tell he had said too much. He saw the recognition in her eyes as it clicked in her mind what they were talking about. But she kept up the facade. "I wouldn't have them do anything. I'm not a favor hunter. I don't go helping people just to get a favor out of them in the end. As for this person I 'saved', the only thing I would want them to do would be to do something nice for someone else. I'd want them to make an effort to do a good deed for someone else. That's all I'd ever ask."

He snorted. "Typical Gryffindor."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Who's indebted to you?" she asked, praying her assumption of the real answer was wrong.

He was silent for a moment. "No one."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and reopened them. "Fine. Who are _you_ indebted to?"

He simply stared at her, silent, while internally wishing he could bang his head against a wall. _You stupid idiot! Why did you bring it up? She's never gonna let it go now!_ he thought.

She stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "You can't be serious. I would never do that. Making someone pay for the debt that they owe you is cruel and unnecessary. I don't care what the debt is or how big of a debt you're in, I would never, _never_ do something like that. So you can get that stupid notion out of your head right now because it doesn't exist."

It was as if a huge weight was released off his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was to be in debt to anyone. He knew he should've known better but he couldn't be too sure. The idea of revenge could be a poisonous one and he had to be sure that Hermione wasn't going to get back at him for all the years of torment he had caused her and her friends at school. He wouldn't put it past her.

But she said that she wouldn't make him answer his debt. He couldn't believe it. He began to feel an emotion that he hadn't felt in a very long time: happy. Or was it relief? He wasn't sure. Either way, it wasn't much but for some reason, knowing that he wasn't in debt to Hermione for essentially saving his life made him feel better than he had in over a year. Before he could think about what he was doing, he kissed her.

Hermione gasped in surprise and her eyes widened. Draco immediately backed off feeling even more of an idiot than he had before. "Uh… sorry." he stuttered. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I meant to say thanks but I-"

He was cut off by a pair of lips crashing against his. Immediately, his hands went to her waist as her arms tightened around his neck as they pulled each other closer to one another. Their lips fit together perfectly as she ran her fingers through his hair causing him to moan slightly. Opening her mouth slightly, Draco let his tongue slip inside entangling it with hers.

They only broke apart when they heard the roar of the fireplace in the other room.

"Hermione?" they heard Ron call.

They stayed silent, staring at each other with their breathing heavy. Hermione was the first to break eye contact. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath, gathering her senses.

"You should go change." she said, quietly. "We've got a lot to do today."

He simply nodded and walked out of the room. She heard a muffled greeting between the boys then turned to the kettle to add more water in it while trying to clear her head. She had absolutely no idea what just happened except that she had just kissed Draco Malfoy, the boy she had sworn to hate since first year. And he kissed her back! Hell, he kissed her first! What the hell was that about?! Hermione's mind was racing. She had never seen that coming and she still wasn't sure what exactly caused it to happen.

Before she could delve further into her thoughts, she put up a calm facade as Ron and Harry walked into the kitchen clearly fighting laughter.

"Um…" Ron started. "Is there a reason Malfoy looks like he just rolled out of bed?"

She chuckled. "Because he did. Except he fell asleep on the couch but same thing. The blanket was a nice touch though, I must admit."

"He looked like he was trying to be Superman." Harry joked causing Hermione to burst into a fit of giggles.

Ron looked at them confused. "What's Superman?"

"A muggle superhero who walks around with a cape and his mortal weakness is a rock." Hermione answered through giggles then broke out into full laughter at Ron's further confused face.

Harry laughed too. "Remind me to show you sometime when all this is over."

Pouring some tea into two mugs, Hermione handed them to Harry and Ron and then walked to the piano room to set it up for training. She avoided looking up at the staircase in case Draco walked by. Fortunately, she saw no sign of blonde hair and breathed a sigh of relief before muttering the spell that would transform the room into the large training space that they would use for the day.

She was grateful for Harry allowing her running these training sessions. It wasn't easy to convince him and Ron to train with Draco but after proving some valid points about how it would be good to learn to trust each other and fight with each other since they were on the same side now, they relented. It took more convincing to let her run the training sessions since Harry had been in charge during the D. A. meetings. Hermione talked him into it, however, after pointing out that she would also be the mediator to ensure that they don't try to kill each other and Harry agreed that would probably be the best plan.

As she finished setting up the room, Draco walked in. His hair was combed and he was dressed in a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. He examined the room but didn't look at her and she didn't look at him. She finished the spell and then the room was silent aside from the distant voices of Harry and Ron in the kitchen. They still refused to look at each other. Hermione pretended to scope out the room while Draco wandered aimlessly flipping his wand through his fingers.

Hermione could no longer find anything to "examine" and huffed in frustration. _What the hell is taking Harry and Ron so long?_ She could feel his eyes on her now, speculating, scrutinizing. She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the entryway to the room, willing her friends to enter.

She heard laughter from the kitchen but no footsteps. His eyes never left her. She groaned internally. She tried to fight the urge to look at him, but eventually she gave in. She allowed her eyes to meet his. There was no coldness or anger in his eyes. No hatred, no disgust, nothing. She found none of his usual emotions for her in those eyes. In fact, she found no emotion in his eyes at all. She only found one thing.

Curiousity.

It was a new look for him. His eyes were slightly strained in concentration as he stared at her. They shifted around rapidly looking at all of her, as if taking her in and analyzing her. There was no confident smirk, no air of superiority. Just a curious boy.

They stood there studying each other for a few moments, neither speaking a word. Suddenly, as if pulled out of a trance, Hermione realized where they were standing and how much time they were wasting.

"Oi!" she said, breaking the silence that was in the room. "You two coming in here or what?"

She heard a muffled expletive from Ron as two pairs of feet hurried into the piano room.

"Sorry Hermione!" Harry said with wide eyes. "I got distracted telling Ron about Superman."

"Super what?" Draco asked with furrowed brows.

"Not important." Hermione said hurriedly. "We've wasted enough time as it is. Today, we're working on one-on-one attacks. You need to learn to protect yourself and send back spells while anticipating your opponent's next move. Treat it like Wizard's Chess, if you will. Same rules apply as last time. And no turning your opponent into a bird or ferret or any other animal please!" she said as she raised an eyebrow at Draco. He rolled his eyes and shrugged at her. Shaking her head, she continued. "We'll switch partners throughout the day as well. For starters, Ron, you're with Malfoy. Harry, you're with me."

Ron and Draco both huffed in frustration as they got their partner assignments.

"Hermione!" Ron whined. "Really?"

She raised an exasperated eyebrow at him. "Ronald, this is getting old. We're not in Hogwarts anymore, school rivalries no longer matter. This is war. And you're going to need to learn to get along and play nice if we're going to win. That goes for _all_ of us. So put aside your petty differences and learn to trust and learn from each other because that is the only way we're going to win. Malfoy has some valuable information that could help us and vice versa. Plus it'll be good for you. Who knows, maybe you'll walk out of this as friends?"

Draco snorted. "Not likely."

Sighing, she walked to one side of the room while Harry walked to the other. Ron and Draco followed suit. "Alright, ready," Hermione started, "go!"

Immediately, spells of all sorts went flying across the room. It was as if a fireworks show had gone off. Spells were flying all over the place and nothing could be heard other than the shouting of spells coming from the four. After an hour, they switched partners, Having Ron work with Hermione and Harry with Draco. They worked for another hour and a half before they broke for lunch. Draco joined them again but this time Hermione made an effort to include him in the conversation. At first, it was awkward small talk. Then she did something she swore she'd never do: she brought up Quidditch. Immediately Ron started talking about the Chudley Cannons and how they won their most recent match against the Arrows. He was very proud. That was until Draco pointed out that Portugal was still in the lead for the Quidditch Cup and the Cannons were still at the bottom of the list which caused Ron to frown. Harry then brought up how Bulgaria was doing and Hermione knew she was done for. She'd never get them to stop talking now. They were so invested in their conversation about Quidditch that she had to take away Harry's glasses in order to gain their attention back. Waving them in front of him, she said she wouldn't give them back until they were back in the piano room for more training. Begrudgingly, Harry followed since he was essentially blind without his glasses. Draco and Ron followed as well while still arguing over Quidditch.

When she got them back in the room, she paired Ron and Harry together, while partnering herself with Draco again. He tried to hide his anxiety as he remembered the last time they were partnered, she was relentless against him. Then it clicked. She was saving herself for last because no matter how hard opponents Harry and Ron would be, Hermione would be harder. She always looked for a challenge in school and this was no different. She was brilliant and he was clever; together they could make a dangerous team but as opponents, they could be deadly because they knew how to anticipate each other's next move. She was treating him how he would be treated if they were in battle. Relentless with no mercy.

Harry and Ron were warm-ups.

_She _was the real opponent during training.

And he was ready. Now that he knew what she was up to, he quickly figured out how to deflect what she would throw at him and send another spell back her way. Hermione barely said go when he sent a stunning charm towards her. However, she was too smart to leave her guard down and immediately sent up a shield charm to block the attack. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she sent one of Ginny's famous Bat-Bogey hexes toward him. He ducked out of the way of the spell and countered with a disarming charm. Hermione fell to the floor, barely missing the spell. Neither had noticed that Harry and Ron had stopped practicing and were watching them with fascination. They sent spell after spell at each other, neither pulling back. They were both breathless but that didn't stop them.

At one point, Hermione jumped up to avoid a spell that went towards her feet. Smirking in victory, Draco cast a spell that created the floor to become slippery as she hit the ground causing her to fall down. She sat up on her elbows to find Draco standing over her wand pointed.

"Good." she said breathlessly. "Very good." She glanced at Harry and Ron who were watching them wearily, before getting an idea and looking back at Draco. "Help a girl up, won't you?" she asked as she reached her hand out. He hesitated before grabbing her hand to help her up. He had a split second to think about how soft her hands were before he felt his head hit the floor. Looking up, he found Hermione had him pinned to the ground, wand at his throat.

"But not good enough." she said. "Taking your opponent down is good but don't leave them. Make a move and make it quick or else you'll be dead before you can turn around. And _never_ let your wand go." Standing up, she grabbed his arm and pulled him up into a standing position. He had to lean against the wall for a moment as he waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Good. I think that's enough for today." Hermione said as she returned the room to it's proper set up. She continued to talk to the three boys about what to practice since they would be doing something similar the following day. Afterwards, Harry and Ron nodded at Draco before leaving the room and heading for the fireplace to floo home. Hermione walked by him before leaving the room as well.

"Don't go anywhere." she whispered. "We need to talk." And then she left.

He groaned. He didn't want to talk, he just wanted to be alone. Today was a mess from the get go when he kissed her. He didn't even know _why_ he had kissed her. It just happened. He wasn't thinking. He was relieved that she wasn't going to hold him to a debt that he thought he owed her but a simple thank you would've sufficed! But no, he was an idiot and he _kissed_ the girl! He was convinced he was losing his mind.

He heard the roar of the fireplace and huffed in exasperation as she walked back into the room. They stood on opposite sides of the room, him with his arms crossed and her with her hands in her pockets. They were silent.

"So," Hermione started.

"What do Potter and Weasley think you're doing when you tell them that you're staying here after training? I doubt they think you're here to chat with me." he said, changing the subject before it started.

She smirked. "They think I'm doing research on horcruxes. Regulus Black had some information on one of them so they think I'm digging through his room to find anything. Which isn't entirely a lie because I am going to do that. But we need to talk first. About what happened this morning."

"No we don't." he said quickly. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is. What was that this morning?"

"It was nothing. I don't know what happened but it's nothing."

She scoffed. "You wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole for _years_! Then suddenly you kiss me?! That's not nothing, Malfoy!"

"In case you're forgetting, Granger, you kissed me back."

"Wha- I- I- I was… confused and caught up in the moment! And that's not the point!"

"And what is the point exactly, Granger? Please, enlighten me!"

She paused. "W- why? What happened?"

He refused to look at her. "I don't know. I wasn't thinking. It just happened, Granger, stop over-analyzing it."

She stared at him a moment. "Things like that don't 'just happen.'" she said as she walked toward him. "Thunderstorms 'just happen,' objects breaking 'just happen,' but kissing somebody, that doesn't 'just happen.'"

He clenched his teeth as he looked at her. She was standing directly in front of him now with an eyebrow raised and questioning eyes. "What do you want me to say, Granger? What are you looking for?"

She searched his eyes before answering. "I want to understand. But I can't do that until you talk to me. And don't tell me that it 'just happened,' because that is a load of crap. You should try taking credit for something for once."

He didn't know what to say. It was true, he didn't know why he kissed her but he also knew that she was right. It wasn't nothing. He had had "nothing" kisses before and the one with Hermione didn't feel like any of them. It felt electric and magnetic and _right_ which is what freaked him out most. This was a girl he had been raised to hate because of her heritage but when their lips met, everything he had grown to know was erased and met only with the thought that he didn't want it to end. It wasn't right, it went against his beliefs.

No.

It went against his father's beliefs. And his father was wrong. He realized that a long time ago. But turning your back on everything you grew up with was harder than it looked. He was scared. This was unfamiliar territory and he wasn't sure he could handle it. But there was only one way to find out.

Putting both hands on the sides of her face, he kissed her again. She gasped in surprise again but quickly melted into the kiss. It was just like their first was. Electric, heated, and passionate. He pushed her against the wall as she ran her fingers through his hair. She moaned quietly as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. His hands traced the length of her back before pulling her close to him.

For two people who thought about every single thing that they did, this was a rare moment where all discretion was gone. They only thought about this moment that they were in and how right it felt despite what they were brought up to believe about each other. Hermione knew she should break the kiss but for once, her heart overruled her mind. And she didn't mind one bit. Draco was experiencing the same thing. He knew nothing good could come out of what they were doing but he didn't care. Screw his old beliefs, he was letting this new feeling take over and he didn't care.

Neither were sure if it was minutes or hours when they finally broke apart for air. Their breathing was heavy but they didn't part. He leaned his forehead against hers and she looked into his eyes, brown meeting silver. Neither looked away as they steadied their breathing. Finally he spoke.

"How's that for taking credit?" he asked.

Her lips curved into a smile as she chuckled. He smirked at her before leaning in again. Her lips met his with fervor. Somehow, between kisses, they ended up upstairs in Draco's room Hermione was pushed against the door as she and Draco fought for control in the kiss. His lips left hers to leave a trail of kisses down her neck. As she gasped for air, she briefly had a moment of clarity in her mind. She knew she should stop him while she had the chance but if she was being honest, she didn't want to. However, while her mind was clear, she put her hands on his chest to stop him but all clarity was gone when his mouth joined hers again.

Instead of pushing him away, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her. She felt his fingers touch the hem of her shirt. He was asking permission. In answer, she lifted his shirt and took it off, breaking the kiss only when it had to go over his head. He then did the same to her. Afterwards, there were no boundaries. Their hands discovered each other as their bodies entwined. Here, they were separated from the rest of the world. No war, no hatred, no danger. Just them. And in that moment, that's all they needed.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up feeling refreshed. She was warm in her bed and didn't want to get up. In fact, she didn't even open her eyes. She sighed and settled further into the bed to try and get some extra sleep. Her brows furrowed, though when she heard steady breathing next to her. And why was there something heavy on her back? Then last night's events came flooding back to her. Her eyes flew open to find Draco fast asleep next to her. And the weight on her back was his arm lying across her. She stared at the blonde in front of her as she tried to make sense of what happened the night before. But there was no way of making sense of it. Her mind was racing. What the hell was she thinking? This wasn't supposed to happen. Nothing good could come out of this! Frustrated, she buried her face into her pillow and groaned.

"Stop overthinking it, Granger." she heard a sleepy voice say as his arm tightened around her.

She peeked out from her pillow to see a pair of silver sleepy eyes looking at her. She huffed in exasperation as he used his free hand to push a curl that had landed in front of her face behind her ear. She nearly melted under his touch again. Even though it was such a simple gesture, it was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Regaining clarity in her brain, she leaned on her elbows as she ran a hand through her messy hair. "How am I _not _supposed to think about it? What happened last night… it- it shouldn't have happened."

"Maybe. But it did. There's not much we can do about it now."

She sighed. She knew he was right. What happened happened and there was nothing they could do to change it. That didn't change the fact that she was confused as to where this left them now or what they should do or even what this meant now.

"So what do we do now?" she asked. "We can't pretend like this didn't happen."

"Well," he said as he pulled her closer to him, "I agree. So maybe we should just take this one step at a time. As in, not doing anything drastic, just take it slow."

"And _what_ exactly are we taking slow?"

He hesitated before speaking. "This. Us, I guess."

She tried to hide the smile that was growing on her lips. "And what are we?" she implied.

He smirked. "Well, by the looks of last night, I'd say we are allies," he kissed her forehead, "friends," he kissed her neck, "and, now, lovers." he said as he kissed her lips. She could no longer hide her smile. She bit her lip to try and contain herself but Draco didn't miss the gleam in her eye.

"What?" he asked.

"You called us friends." she replied.

He furrowed his brows. "Did you miss the part where I also called us lovers?"

She snorted. "No. But you can be lovers with someone and not trust them. Friends, however, being friends with someone requires trust."

"I see. You want to know if I trust you now."

She raised an eyebrow in question. He rolled his eyes while smirking. "What do you think, Granger?"

"I don't want to make assumptions, Draco." she said. "I want to hear it."

He sighed. There was something about hearing her say his first name that made him melt. How he turned from someone who wouldn't stand within ten feet of Hermione Granger to waking up next to her he wouldn't know. He had no regrets about last night and he could see that, although she wanted to, she didn't have any regrets either. They did more than sleep together; they bonded with each other like they'd never bonded with anyone else before. Whatever happened now, they were in it together. For someone who relied on himself for such a long time, it seemed a bit daunting to have someone who would be with him through it all now. But his gut was telling him to embrace it. And he was always one to follow his gut feelings.

"Yes, Hermione, I trust you." he said. And for once, he was telling the truth. And she knew it. Her smile grew and she reached over to kiss him. He smiled into their kiss as he deepened it. All too soon, the kiss was over. He frowned as he opened his eyes to find Hermione turning away from him as she looked at the clock on the bedside table.

"Shit!" she cursed as she flew out of bed.

"What?" he asked sitting up, watching her as she scrambled around the room to put her clothes back on.

"It's almost eight 'o clock! Harry and Ron are gonna be here any minute! I have to get out of here before they show up!" she said as she jumped into her jeans.

"Or you could just cancel training today and spend the day in here with me." he tempted her.

She gave him a knowing glance as she pulled her shirt on. "As tempting as that is, training is more of a priority right now. It's important that we ready ourselves for the fight against Voldemort. We're going to need all the experience in that we can get if we're going to win."

He shook his head. "You're too determined for you're own good, know that?"

"Yes, I'm aware." She kissed him before leaving. "See you in half an hour!" And then she took off taking the steps two at a time. Draco smirked as he got out of bed. Whatever it was that they had, it was going to be interesting to say the least. He wasn't sure either of them had any idea of what they were getting into but he had a good feeling about it nonetheless.


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: It's the week before finals! Yikes! College finals week sucks, dude! Anyway, have another early update! The song I imagined Draco playing is Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran. Here's the link: __ watch?v=ESgbk7sYiQo&amp;index=1&amp;list=PLHggqueXHeYUeL5O-PbMvwFwP_6qfoB84_**

**_Tallyho!_**

* * *

Chapter 8:

Training continued as planned. It got harder each week and Hermione was constantly throwing twists in. Once she had them throwing spells at each other blindfolded! That day didn't end very well, to say the least. Nonetheless, the training was starting to pay off. They were all getting better as they continued. The boys were even starting to work as a team. Hermione knew Harry and Ron would never admit it, but Draco was rubbing off on them. They seemed to like- or at least tolerate- him better than when they initially started and Hermione saw that as a good thing. Maybe they could turn out to be friends after all… but that would still be a while before any of them admitted to that.

As for her and Draco, their (secret) relationship continued. She learned very quickly that he took trust very seriously but he was still hesitant about it. One evening, in hope of strengthening the trust between them, Hermione started telling him stories from her childhood and even a few secrets. After about an hour of explaining what muggle London was like, she finally got him to open up to her.

He started off with his family and childhood. A lot of it she had expected to hear: only child, Malfoy heir, spoiled rotten for most if not all of his life. Then he started to share stories of when he was a kid and how his mom would sing to him and taught him to play the piano. He shared very few stories of his father, though, because most of the memories he had were of his father's mixed up views of the world. The one good memory he had, that he always held onto, was that of his father dancing with his mother one night in Malfoy Manor. Lucius had enchanted the piano to play by itself as he grabbed Narcissa by the hand and danced with her all throughout the room. Draco hadn't been more than six years old but it was his favorite memory of his parents. Only a few years later would things start to fall apart with Voldemort's return.

He hadn't realized he had been crying until Hermione wiped a tear off his cheek. He looked at her, fighting the tears, only to see tears welling up in her eyes.

"That's beautiful." she said.

He scoffed as he wiped the tears away. "Yeah, well. Things went to hell a few years after that so I doubt it'll ever be that way again."

"It can be. Maybe after this is all over, you and your parents can work things out-"

"No, we can't." he said sternly.

"You don't know that. I'm sure if you just tried-"

"Hermione, stop it. It can't and it won't. Now just drop it. Okay?" he warned her. His eyes were dark but not with anger; with pain. Hermione sighed and wiped away the lone tear that had escaped his eye. Then she kissed the spot where the tear once was.

"Okay. If you don't want to talk about it, then we won't talk about it."

He looked away and played with his thumbs. The tension in the room was noticeable as they remained silent. Hermione bit her lip before hesitantly reaching out for him. He didn't shy away when her hand touched his back so she took it as an okay to go further. She scooted closer to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. He unconsciously leaned his head against hers and sighed. She smiled a bit, relieved that he didn't seem to be angry with her. They were silent for a moment longer before she spoke.

"Do you know the song?" she asked tentatively.

He nodded.

She bit her lip in hesitation. "Will you play it for me?"

He lifted his head up and looked at her. She chewed on her lip as he looked at her with curious eyes. She was worried she had pushed him too far but he gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead before unwrapping her arms from him but taking her hand as he led her downstairs to the piano room. They sat down next to each other at the piano and he began to play. It was a beautiful melody that was soft but romantic. It required some complicated finger work but he played it with such ease, it was as if the keys were feathers that happened to make beautiful music. A smile grew on Hermione's face as he continued to play. It was the most beautiful song she had ever heard. She could understand why he held onto such a memory. A song like that was too beautiful to forget.

As he finished, the last key he played stayed in the air for a moment in the otherwise silent room. Hermione had tears in her eyes. Draco stared at the keys. She sniffed and wiped away the tears before she grabbed Draco's hand causing him to look up at her. She gave him a small smile and nodded her head in signal for him to stand up. As he did, she led him to the center of the room. He looked at her confused as she pulled out her wand. She flicked it at the piano and it began to play a beautiful melody that filled the room.

He furrowed his brows in confusion as she smiled at him. "Dance with me?" she said.

His lip curved at the corner. "Hermione" he started.

"Please?" she interrupted. "Come on. It's time you make some new memories. Good memories."

The curve of his lip turned into a half smile as he relented. Taking her hand in his left and putting his other hand on her back they began to dance. It wasn't the glamorous ballroom dancing that one might expect a Malfoy to do but they weren't standing in one place either. Just like when they played the piano together, they immediately fell into step with one another as if they had been dancing together for years. They traveled the room gracefully and he spun her with ease. Within the first few minutes of dancing he had a smile on his face, as did Hermione. As the song neared its ending, they slowed down to a sway in the center of the room. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. They stayed in the room until the song ended then retreated back to Draco's room where they would stay for the night.

As they continued to get to know each other, they both discovered that they tend to calm each other down quite well when needed. One night, Hermione had been stressing about the horcruxes and how to find them. She stressed herself out so much at one point that she began to shake. When Draco noticed, he pulled her into his arms and just held her and rubbed her back until she calmed down. As for Draco, he had never been one to show his emotions consciously but when he was asleep, all bets were off. One night, he began to have a nightmare. She woke up when he flew out of bed yelling something incoherent. She quickly sat up and cupped his face in her hands, his eyes wild with panic and fear, while she whispered to him that he was okay. That he was safe. It took a few minutes but she finally got him to calm down. When they laid back together in bed, he snuggled close to her as if looking for protection. She smiled at the small gesture and kissed the top of his head before drifting back to sleep. The next morning, neither of them mentioned what happened but she knew he was glad that she had been there. Her inklings were confirmed by the grateful kiss he gave her when she woke up.

The more time that they spent together, the more they discovered about one another and how they were together. Both were brilliant, headstrong people so of course they would butt heads but it wasn't as angry as it was while they were in school. It was actually much more of intellectual arguments where they debated important subjects. If they had talked like this in school, who knows how they would've turned out.

Eventually, they began to talk about books that they had read and which ones were her favorite. Most of the books that Draco had read Hermione had read as well. Hermione was surprised to find, however, that Draco was interested in her favorite muggle books that she had read. After telling him about a few of the stories that she had read, she decided to bring in a few of her copies for him to read from her apartment. She brought her top five favorites: Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, Hamlet, Rebecca, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. He gave her a confused look when she dropped them onto his bed but he quickly became enthralled with the books that he had never heard of before. As he read the books she gave him, they began to discuss the characters and the plot lines. Draco had a hard time seeing pictures in books that didn't move but otherwise transitioned to muggle books well. He was amazed that muggles could write so well which received an eyebrow raise from Hermione in which he quickly hid his face behind the book as he went back to reading.

While training continued, Hermione began to study any information she could find on horcruxes with help from Draco as they grew closer each day. Eventually, with the information that the gave her, she realized he became more valuable to the cause then she had initially anticipated. She decided it was time that he began participating in the Order meetings.

It took some convincing, but Hermione had managed to drag him to a meeting once and he ended up being very helpful when it came to information on Voldemort and Malfoy Manor that was now becoming the central hub for the meetings between him and the Death Eaters. In return, Draco had received a little information on his mother but nothing that completely eased his nerves. Narcissa was still alive but she was still not doing well. She was very depressed and hardly eating but the informant was keeping her alive as well as he could. Draco was worried, and when he expressed his concerns to Kingsley, he said he was doing what he could to get her out. Not surprisingly, that didn't reassure him as much as it could've. Little did he know, Hermione had an idea.

About a week later, Draco woke up one morning to an empty bed. His brows furrowed in confusion as to where she was. Then he heard muffled voices downstairs and he wondered who else would be here this early in the morning. He got dressed and made sure his hair wasn't a disaster before going downstairs. The voices grew louder as he got closer to the dining room. He recognized Hermione's and Kingsley's voices. Then he heard another voice that made him stop in his tracks. A voice that he had heard since he was a small boy.

The voice of his godfather.

Snape.

Finding his feet, he took a deep breath then walked into the dining room hesitantly. Hermione's back was to him but Kingsley and Snape were right in his line of sight. They both looked up at him as he entered the room.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. You have impeccable timing." Snape said.

Hermione turned around in her chair to face her lover. He glanced at her in confusion as she gave him a small smile. "Granger," he said, careful not to use her first name, "what is this?" He'd been asking her that a lot lately.

She took a deep breath. "We were right about the informant. Snape has been working with the Order in secret since the night of Dumbledore's death."

"Okay… but what are you doing here?" he asked Snape.

"Miss Granger managed to convince Severus and I that it would be a good idea for us to meet and discuss the terms of your mother's rescue." Kingsley said.

Draco's eyes grew wide as he sat down at the table. He hardly noticed that Hermione had gotten up from the table and walked into the kitchen. "W-what do you mean? You mean you can do it? She's actually going to get out of there?" he asked careful not to get his hopes up.

Kingsley nodded. "It's still in the planning stages. Part of the reason why we're having this meeting is so Severus can help with the mapping out of Malfoy Manor and how to get Narcissa out. However, Mr. Malfoy, this task is very dangerous. You must understand that if something goes wrong," he paused before continuing, "there is a chance that our team and your mother won't survive. Do you understand?"

He let out the breath he had been holding and nodded meekly. Suddenly, there was a cup of coffee in his line of sight. He looked up and saw Hermione holding the cup. He hesitantly reached for the mug, not trusting his shaking hands, and said thanks very quietly before wrapping both hands around it and placing it on the table. She nodded before taking her own mug of tea and began to walk out of the room.

"Actually, Miss Granger, I think it would be good if you stayed and listened to this." Kingsley said stopping her.

"Kingsley, I don't think-"

"I'm not asking, Hermione." he said. She hesitated then looked at Draco, asking for permission with her eyes. He gave a quick nod, his face giving nothing away but his eyes pleading for her to stay. She swallowed nervously but complied and sat back down in the chair next to Draco. Although both thought they were being discreet and nonchalant, their encounter did not go missed by Snape who was now studying the two as he tried to understand why they were being civil to each other. Hermione didn't miss his scrutinized stare and looked away immediately, hoping she wasn't blushing.

"Now," Kingsley started, "we have a team that we're currently building. They're some of the best aurors that we have in the Ministry. They haven't been informed of what the task is yet, but when they are, they will be told that your mother is a valuable asset to our cause. They won't be told of your involvement with us, of course."

"The plan is," Snape started, "that the rescue team will fly to Malfoy Manor in the dead of night. I know where some of the secret passages are so I will let them in-"

"Wait, what?" Hermione interrupted. "You mean the team knows that you're the informant?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at her and took a deep breath while Kingsley answered. "The only way we could get the team in and out safely is with Severus' help. So, yes, we had to tell the team that he was our informant. After explaining, they understood and are still up for the task."

Hermione's brows were furrowed in confusion but mouthed "Okay" as she processed what Kingsley had said. Snape took her silence as an opportunity to continue. "As I was saying, I will let the team into the Manor and lead them to where Narcissa will be that night. She usually stays in the library now so I can lead them in through the back door a couple rooms down. After we get her with the team, we'll lead her back here where she can be nursed back to health."

"We?" Hermione asked.

"I'll be coming back with the team to ensure Narcissa's safety and to build an alibi. Once she goes missing, the Dark Lord will become more suspicious than he already is and I need to have a story ready when he starts questioning what happened."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded in understanding. Draco had remained surprisingly silent during the layout of the plan. He was looking at the table but his eyes were glazed and distant. He clearly wasn't in the room.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Kingsley said.

No response.

Kingsley called him again. Still no response. Suddenly there was a bump underneath the table and Draco jumped, coming back to life. He glared at Snape who gave him a hard stare back. The two seemed to have a silent argument leaving Hermione and Kingsley in the dark. Finally, Kingsley spoke.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you aware of the plan and how it will hopefully go about?"

He nodded. "When is this supposed to happen?" he asked.

Kingsley shook his head. "Whenever we can get the team completely prepped and they know the plan inside and out. But the idea is to do it sometime in December. Severus has information that the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters will be scattered around the country at that time. Apparently, they plan on getting some more recruits at that time which will allow us to have a better chance of rescuing your mother once we have the information we need."

He nodded silently. "Was there something else you wanted to address?" Kingsley asked.

Draco took a deep breath and looked at his godfather. "How suspicious is Voldemort of my disappearance?"

"Very."

"Is he hurting my mother in any way because of it?"

Snape shook his head. "No. But if you're gone any longer without an explanation, I can't promise that he won't start taking drastic measures of finding out what happened, which may involve interrogating your mother."

He swallowed. "Then you know there's only one thing we can do to protect her for the time being."

Snape gave him a warning look. "Think very carefully of what you're about to say Draco. If it's what I think it is, then you need to remember this might cause more harm than good."

He challenged Snape with his eyes. "We need to tell the Dark Lord that I'm dead. I was apparating out of somewhere and got stuck in the process, causing myself to get splinched. Death was instantaneous." He said it with no emotion or hint of what was going through his mind. Hermione was looking at him horrified but he refused to meet her eyes. Kingsley and Snape stared at him in silence.

"Um, forgive me, Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley started, "but how exactly does faking your death make things easier in protecting your mother?"

"Once the Dark Lord believes I'm dead, his suspicions will alleviate. My mother will be a mess but because of that, no one will want to be near her which gives Severus, here, a better opportunity to have access to her and explain what's going to happen."

The two men looked at each other before looking back at Draco. "If you think that's for the best-" Kingsley started.

"I do." Draco said.

Kingsley nodded. "Very well. Severus will spread the news to the Dark Lord and I will continue to get the team prepped. I will keep you updated if any new information arrives. Otherwise, stay safe and I will see you both soon at the next Order meeting."

Hermione hadn't even heard the last sentence. She flew out of her chair and walked straight to the piano room, grabbed a pillow into the couch and screamed into it. Fake his death? Was he insane?! She threw the pillow onto the couch and huffed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Miss Granger." she heard a familiar drawl say.

She turned around, hands still tangled in her hair, to find her former professor standing in the doorway. She let go of her hair as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Yes, Professor?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her address to him. "I don't know what is going on between you and Draco, Miss Granger, but-"

"There's nothing going on." she said a bit too quickly.

"I highly doubt that. You two couldn't stand to be within 10 feet of each other at Hogwarts and now you're sitting next to each other and being civil. Something is going on. I don't know what and frankly, I don't care. What I'm getting at, Miss Granger, is that my godson is…" he took a deep breath as if he was about to regret the words that would come out of his mouth, "he's very lost, at the moment. And if what I gather from Shacklebolt is true, then he seems to be relying on you. For what reason, I don't know why, but he is. So I'm asking… that- that you keep an eye on him. I can't be here to protect him right now as I'm watching over his mother. So… I'm counting on you to watch him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, if you will."

Hermione smirked. "No disrespect, Professor, but if I couldn't keep Harry and Ron in line while at school, what makes you think that I'll be able to keep Draco from doing anything stupid?" She realized her mistake too late as she saw Snape smirk at her. It was the closest thing she had ever seen of a smile on the man and of course, it was when she had made a huge slip in her speech.

"Something tells me you'll be just fine. Goodbye Miss Granger."

"Goodbye Professor." she said quietly as she grabbed the pillow from the couch and buried her face into it out of embarrassment. She didn't remove it until she heard the fireplace roar. When she moved the pillow, she saw a flash of blonde run up the stairs. Throwing the pillow aside she followed him.

"Draco!" she called. He kept walking away from her.

"You can't just walk away from me, Draco! Not after what you just said down there!"

"Oh yeah? Watch me." he challenged walking towards his room.

"Draco, talk to me! Why did you say that? You know it's only going to make things worse for your mother if she thinks you're dead!"

"Just drop it."

"No! I'm not just going to drop it! What are you thinking?"

He turned around and faced her head on. "I'm thinking that I'm trying to save my mother's life! And if pretending I'm dead will do the trick, then so be it! And that's more than what you did! All you did was send your parents away to exile!"

He could tell he hit a nerve. Her expression changed from wanting to understand to anger. When she spoke, the ice in her voice could freeze a room if she wanted. "I would rather my parents not remember me but be safe in a different country, than have them be here in the heart of the danger, believing that I'm dead. That is not a world I would want them to live in. I'd rather them be happy than dead. I would've thought you'd want the same for yours." And with that she stormed back down the stairs and flooed out of the house.

Draco's breathing was heavy. He was speechless out of anger, hurt, and fear. The one time he truly needed her, he pushed her away by saying something hurtful. He yelled in anger and flopped on his bed only to jump right off. It smelled like lavender. Her. He couldn't bear that right now. Grabbing an extra pillow and blanket from a spare room, Draco trudged back downstairs and curled up on the couch after asking Kreacher to wash the bedding. He wouldn't go back in his room until the smell of her was gone. Wrapping himself under the blanket, he curled into a ball and fell asleep, ignoring the tears that were silently falling down his face.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Two things: 1) finals are this upcoming week! Yay and Nay because finals (yuck) but that means summer is one week closer! Yay! 2) holy crap on a cracker, Batman! I'm almost done writing the story! WHAT?! I still have a bit to go but I know that I'm nearing the end in writing it and I'm a little sad because I've grown quite attached to this story and to these characters. I might have to write more stories involving them... *evil laughter* Anyway, I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend and I hope you have a great week!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

Draco and Hermione didn't speak to each other for the rest of the week. She was still furious with him and he was too proud to apologize. Training continued but she wouldn't look at him, only Harry and Ron. Whenever she spoke to him, it was in one-worded or very short sentences. After training, she would leave immediately.

The first week was easy to stay mad and ignore each other. But by the second week, it became a bit harder. They had spent so much time together before the meeting with Snape that not seeing or talking to each other was becoming difficult. But both were still too proud to admit defeat. The curse of being a Gryffindor/Slytherin.

One night, after having a particularly terrible nightmare and waking up alone, Draco decided to bite the bullet and try and talk to Hermione. He'd never admit it out loud but he liked having her there when he woke up. It was a comfort of having someone be there for him who actually _wanted_ to be there. Two mornings later, he woke up early to hopefully catch Hermione alone before training started. To his luck, he heard the fireplace roar as he poured himself some coffee. He didn't have to turn around to know the small footsteps he heard were hers. She stopped in the doorway as she saw him in the kitchen.

"Morning." he said nonchalantly.

She stared at him for a moment before walking into the kitchen. "Morning." she said, her voice guarded. He leaned against the counter and examined the room as she poured herself a cup of tea. They said nothing else to each other. Hermione refilled the kettle and put it back on the stove before grabbing her mug and starting to head out of the room.

Draco knew he had to say something before it was too late but, to his surprise, she beat him to the punch.

"Okay, this is ridiculous." she said turning back around and placing her mug on the counter.

"What is?" he asked playing dumb.

"This." she gestured. "Us, not talking to each other. We shouldn't be ignoring each other like children. We're adults; it's time we acted like them."

He bit his cheek. "So what you suggest we do then?" his voice having slightly more malice than he intended.

Hermione's face grew hard. "Do what most people do: talk about it."

"Well in case you haven't noticed, Granger, I'm not most people."

"No. You're just a kid with a big ego and a bad attitude." And with that, she grabbed her mug and walked out of the room.

Draco groaned. "Hermione, wait!"

She walked back and stood in the door frame, her eyes filled with hurt, betraying her guarded face. "What?" she said bitterly.

He took a deep breath. Merlin curse him if the words he was about to say ever left this room. "I'm sorry."

She looked taken aback. "What?"

"I shouldn't have said that about your parents. It was uncalled for. You were trying to help and I lashed out. That wasn't fair to you. So, I apologize."

She studied him, biting her lip. "Draco, you talk about trust yet when the time comes for you to trust someone you lash out. You attack the person trying to help you instead of relying on them. You want it so badly but you won't allow yourself to have it."

He wondered when she had figured him out so well. "I'm not one to trust easily. You know that."

"Well maybe it's time you are." she said coming into the room and placing her mug on the counter. "It's not easy, I know. But the whole point of trust is to be able to rely on someone when you're at your worst, not your best. It's okay to let somebody in."

He remained silent. He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, not knowing what to do or say. She had rendered him speechless; again. He was starting to think this woman was some kind of philosopher or something in a past life.

She gave him a small smile before walking towards him. "Come here." she said opening up her arms.

He walked right into them, wrapping his arms around her as tight as he could, she doing the same. He buried his face into her hair, revelling in that familiar lavender smell he had grown used to in the past month. Neither said a word as they embraced. They simply held each other enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms again. Draco kissed her forehead then touched his with hers.

"Will you stay tonight?" he asked quietly.

She smiled. "Of course."

"Good, because we have a lot to catch up on." he smirked mischievously.

"Oh really? Like what?"

"Like _Hamlet_ for instance! What the hell is that dude's problem?"

She chuckled. "Just shut up and kiss me."

And he did.

Little did they know that their entire conversation had been heard by none other than Harry Potter himself. And boy, did he have some questions.

* * *

After training that day, Hermione left with the boys to go back to her apartment to get some extra clothing for the night. She had bought it shortly before she sent her parents to Australia with some money her parents had saved up for her. It was a modest one bedroom with a small bathroom and kitchen. The living room was fairly big and it had many windows to allow a lot of natural light into the house. It felt a bit empty as she left Crookshanks with her parents but it was still cozy and hers to call home. To her surprise, Harry arrived minutes after she got home.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need to ask you something." he said sternly.

"Okay… what's up?" she replied wearily. She sat down on the couch and gestured for him to join her. He did.

He sighed. "What's going on with you and Malfoy?"

Her eyes went wide but she recovered quickly. "What- What are you talking about?"

"I heard you two talking, Hermione. I know you have something going on."

"H- how did you hear us talking? We would've heard you enter the house!"

"I came in through the front door instead of flooing in. That's how you didn't hear me. Now what's going on?"

She was silent for a moment. "How much did you hear?"

"I walked in right as he apologized." Harry said.

She blew air out of her nose. There was no point in hiding it now. He pretty much knew. "We're kind of seeing each other." Hermione admitted.

"For how long?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "About a month."

He was quiet as he processed this information. She was grateful that he wasn't getting immediately angry with her like Ron would be right now. Harry had a temper but he fortunately could think things through when his emotions weren't involved. After what felt like hours of silence, he finally spoke.

He looked at her with his big green eyes that reminded her of a puppy dog. "Why?" he asked begging for an explanation. "After everything that he's done, what would prompt you to start a relationship with him?"

She sighed. She had thought long and hard about this after they spent that first night together. She hadn't told anyone, not even Draco, her conclusion for why she had entered a relationship with her former enemy. But Harry was her best friend. She knew he would understand… eventually.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "He's not a bad person, Harry. He's just made some bad choices. He's actually a very sweet and caring guy. And funny too. You'd never know though because you two never bothered to get to know each other. The Draco we grew up with is not the real him. He's such a different person when we're alone, Harry, you'd never know it was him. He listens to my stories of the Muggle world and he's even reading some of my Muggle books! And he likes them! And he's so smart and always has an interesting view on things that our conversations last for hours! I know my dating history is limited but I've never connected with someone the way I connect with him." She smiled as she thought about the moments she had shared with him. "He makes me feel beautiful. He argues with me and doesn't back down. He challenges me. There's so much more to him than just the spoiled rich bully we knew in school."

He stared at her. "You've learned that much about him in just a month?"

She shrugged. "I'm very perceptive. And we've just spent a lot of time together."

He raised an eyebrow. "Right." He was surprised at his best friend but not completely convinced and Hermione knew this. She decided to tell him what she had figured out about Draco the day they met in the coffee shop.

"Harry," she started. He looked at her expectantly. "Harry, I see so much of you in him it's… uncanny."

He looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"You two are almost the same. Both given an incredibly difficult task, just on opposite sides of the track. Imagine if your positions were switched. I can't even fathom where we would be standing."

Harry's eyes widened at her explanation. He had never thought of his and Draco's reflecting each other's. Now that Hermione pointed it out, he couldn't help but see it right in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief. Hermione wasn't kidding when she said she was perceptive.

"Are you mad at me?" Hermione asked pulling him out of his thoughts.

He looked at her to find her brown eyes filled with concern that he was angry with her. He shook his head and gave her a small smile while pulling her in for a hug. "No, I'm not mad at you. It's just a lot to take in. I may not approve but I want you to be happy. Merlin knows we could all use some happiness right now."

She smiled and hugged back tightly. "Thank you. Will you do something for me please?"

He pulled back and looked at her. "What's that?"

"Don't tell Ron. Please."

He shook his head. "I wasn't planning on it. I'll let you do that when you're ready."

She sighed. "Thank you."

He stood up and walked to the fireplace.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione called before he left. "I found one of the horcruxes."

"Really? Where?"

"You're not gonna like it. Umbridge has it."

Hermione would swear his eyes grew a shade darker as she mentioned the Toad's name. "In other words, we'll need to break into the Ministry to get it." he said darkly.

Hermione nodded. "Looks like it."

He ground his teeth in frustration. "Alright. I'll let Ron know and we'll figure out a plan tomorrow. I know tomorrow's Sunday and we don't have training but the sooner we organize a plan the sooner we can get the horcrux. Which one is it anyway?"

"The locket."

"Why am I not surprised." he muttered. "Alright. Well I'll see you tomorrow. Make sure you and Malfoy are decent by the time we get there."

She rolled her eyes. "Bye Harry."

He left by a flash of green in the fireplace. Hermione ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. Harry knew. She didn't want to tell him so soon but she couldn't hide it from him after he figured it out. She only hoped he would understand in time. After grabbing some clothes, she flooed back to Grimmauld Place where she was greeted by Draco's embrace. He noticed her strained smile and followed her upstairs when she shook her head. When they reached his room he closed the door as she looked out the window.

"What's wrong?"

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "Harry knows."

His eyes went wide. "What?"

"About this. Us. He knows."

"How?"

"He heard us talking this morning. Then he came and confronted me about it at my flat."

Draco sighed. "How much does he know?"

"Enough. I didn't tell him everything but I told him enough that he understands. Or at least I think he does. I hope he does." She ran her fingers through her hair. "And to top it off, he and Ron are coming over here tomorrow to talk about a plan to get the locket. Which in short means we're going to break into the Ministry! When did life get so complicated?"

Draco sighed as he sat down on the bed. He patted the spot next to him for Hermione to sit. "You're not mad?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We knew people were gonna find out eventually. Was it supposed to have happened this soon, no. But it's not the end of the world. And I trust you. If you trust Potter, which I know you do, then by some strange twist in the universe, I trust him with what he's found out." He shook his head in disbelief. "Did I just say that?"

Hermione shook her head and curled up next to him on the bed. "Yes, you did. I have to admit, I'm a little freaked out by that but I'm also proud of you."

He looked at her. "Why?"

She smiled. "You're trying to trust people. That's good."

Draco simply shrugged and kissed her forehead. "Can I ask you something?" Hermione asked.

"Sure."

"Why me?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you could have anyone in the world and yet, _I'm_ the one sitting here with you. Current circumstances aside, why me? Why pick me?"

He paused before speaking. "I liked you for a long time, Granger. Since the day we met, I knew you were… different. You were outspoken, intelligent, a bit of a know-it-all but for you, it fit. When you were placed in Gryffindor and I in Slytherin, I knew what it meant. We could never be friends. It just wasn't the way of our houses. As I got older, I became more susceptible to my father's twisted view of the world. He had high expectations of me and I wanted to please him so I followed his example. I called you and the other muggle-borns Mudbloods, I engrained fear in other people by being a bully, I did everything I could to be the best for my father. But even through everything I did, in the back of my mind was that little reminder that I still liked you.

"I tried to ignore it by being mean but it just grew and grew through the years. Then you showed up in that dress at the Yule Ball during our fourth year. I knew then that I was in trouble. You were so beautiful, I was speechless. After that, I accepted the fact that I liked you but, for obvious reasons, I couldn't ever act on it."

Hermione snuggled closer to him as she processed what he said. She nuzzled her nose against his neck which sent chills down his spine. "Have you really liked me since the day we met?" she asked looking up at him.

He looked down at her and smirked before crashing his lips against hers in fervor. He whispered yes into her ear before leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. It was her turn to get chills up her spine. Although it had only been a couple weeks, they grasped at one another as if it had been months since they made love. Both were passionate people so when it came to being a lover, neither were surprised at the intensity both shared with one another. By the time they were finished, both agreed that that rendezvous was the best they'd had.

"We should fight more often." Hermione joked smirking at him.

He chuckled and kissed her softly on the lips. "Merlin knows with you and me, that won't be hard."

She smirked before snuggling closer to him and falling asleep in his arms with a smile on both their faces.

* * *

The next morning Draco woke up to find Hermione sound asleep beside him. He looked at the clock on her side of the bed: 7am. He assumed Harry and Ron would arrive around the usual time that they arrived for training which was between 8 and 9 so Draco made no rush to get up. He closed his eyes again as he thought about what she had told him the night before.

Usually, he'd be beyond furious if Harry found anything out about him but there was something about him knowing about himself and Hermione that didn't bother him at all. He was almost… glad that Harry knew; for what reason he had no idea. Then it hit him: Hermione was _his_. She may still have been part of the Golden Trio but she was also with Draco now. Harry and Ron no longer had her to themselves; they shared her with _him_. For once in his life, Draco shared a commonality with Harry Perfect-face Potter: _her_. They both cared for her, they both connected with her, and they both would do anything to keep her safe. That's why Draco wasn't mad that Harry knew. He was glad because, even if it was childish, he got to rub in Harry's face that he was a part of Hermione's life now. And he was happy to be a part of it. He also knew that it didn't matter what their past history was; when it came to Hermione both would do what they could to keep her safe which would make Hermione happy because they'd be cooperating.

Draco wrinkled his nose at that idea but then huffed in exasperation because that's what they had been doing since training started: cooperating. And it was all because of her. Since their meeting at the cafe, she had managed to flip his world completely upside down. And he didn't mind one bit.

Hermione mumbled quietly in her sleep, pulling Draco out of his thoughts. He smiled at her and kissed her lips softly. Her eyelids fluttered open to find a familiar blonde smiling at her. "Morning," he said.

Half asleep, she groaned at him and pulled her pillow over her head. He chuckled. "I slept well, thanks for asking." he said sarcastically. His only response was a small grunt from underneath the pillow. Realizing she wasn't going to come out from under the pillow, he went to her. He pulled his pillow over his head and snuggled up next to her so he could get his head underneath hers. He kissed her cheek which caused her lip to quirk up.

"You going to wake up anytime soon?" he asked.

"No." she said.

He chuckled. "You know Potter and Weasley will be here soon…"

She groaned and lifted her head from underneath her pillow to look at the clock. He lifted his head and put the pillows back to normal. Hermione groaned and let her head fall back on the pillow. "How I miss the days when I could sleep in past seven in the morning." she said.

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "When this war is over, I'm going on a long vacation just to sleep."

"You know, that's not a bad idea. I might do the same." Hermione agreed.

He leaned on his elbow and looked at her. "You could come with me." he suggested. She looked at him, her eyes curious but still raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious," he continued. "We could just pack up and leave. Go anywhere: France, New Zealand, America. We could just go. If we wanted, we would never have to come back."

She stared at him as a small smile crept up on her lips. "Why Mr. Malfoy, are you asking me to run away with you?"

He bit his lip. "In so many words, yes."

Her smile grew. "How scandalous."

He smirked. "Tell me Miss Granger, what do you say?"

"I'll go on one condition: you have to finish _Hamlet_."

He groaned and fell back on his pillow. "But it's so dull! And I can hardly understand the language!"

"It's a classic in the muggle world! Shakespeare is a legend!"

"Well he's a boring legend- ow!" he said as Hermione smacked his arm. "But if that's your condition, then fine! I'll finish the damned book."

"Play." she corrected. He shrugged. She smiled and kissed him which he returned happily. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Hermione froze mid-kiss and looked at the door. Draco rolled his eyes in frustration at the knock. "Who is it?"

"Me." a familiar voice said.

Hermione nearly fell out of the bed; Harry was on the other side of the door.

Jumping out of the bed, Hermione grabbed her clothes and began to throw them on quickly while being as quiet as possible. Draco did the same and opened the door slightly to talk to Harry.

"Yes?"

"Uh, morning. Just thought I'd share that Ron will be here any minute and you two are still up here. So unless you want Ron to find out about… you two now, I recommend you come downstairs soon."

Draco nodded. "Thanks for the heads up." Harry walked away as Draco closed the door. When he turned around, Hermione was dressed and standing by the side wall, out of eyesight from the door. He gave her a small smile before giving her a small peck and walking out of the room and into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Hermione went downstairs into the dining room where she found Harry peering over _The Daily Prophet,_ coffee mug in hand.

"Hey." she said, meekly.

He looked up at her. "Hey."

She gave him a small smile which he returned before going back to the _Prophet_. Hermione walked into the kitchen and poured herself some coffee before walking back into the dining room. "Anything interesting in the news?" she asked Harry.

He looked very confused. "Uh… yeah. Do you know anything about this?" he asked as he slid the paper over to Hermione so she could read the headline. She nearly spit out her coffee. She looked at the paper wide eyed as she tried to process what she was reading. Draco walked into the dining room and a frown formed on his face as he looked at Hermione's puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"You tell me." Harry replied.

Hermione looked up at Draco, her face regaining composure. "You need to read this." she said as she handed him the paper. Draco almost fell over when he saw the headline.

_**Malfoy heir believed to be dead.**_

_Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and heir to the Malfoy fortune, is believed to be dead. It has been released that Mr. Malfoy has been missing for several months now and has recently been claimed as dead although a body has yet to be found. Yesterday, an anonymous source reached out to the Ministry of Magic stating that the Young Malfoy is deceased. Nothing else was stated about the cause of death. There has been no word on how the Malfoy family is reacting. Our prayers of healing are with them. Draco Malfoy was supposed to be in his seventh year at Hogwarts this year. He was seventeen years old._

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. _Father must have paid them heavily to write such a nice obituary. _he thought.

Harry cleared his throat. "You want to explain to me what that's about?"

Draco glanced at Hermione who gave him a warning look but nodded. "Well, Potter, the Dark Lord has a snitch among him."

Harry blinked. "What?"

"The Order has an informant working amongst the Death Eaters and Voldemort." Hermione said.

"What? Who?" Harry asked.

She shook her head. "I can't tell you. At least not yet."

"Hermione," he began.

"I promise I'll tell you. But not right now. Please, just try to understand."

He clenched his teeth. "Fine. But I fail to see how this has anything to do with _The Daily Prophet _and the rest of the Wizarding World believing that Malfoy's dead."

Before Draco could get a word in, Hermione had him beat. "The Dark Lord was suspicious about Draco's disappearance. In order to get him to drop it, the informant, Kingsley, and Draco all agreed that he should fake his death. It would get the Dark Lord off Draco's trail which would allow us to continue our horcrux hunt and keep Mrs. Malfoy safe for the time being until she can be rescued."

Harry nodded. "Right. Well… that's different."

Hermione bit her cheek as she looked at Draco. He gave her a look, warning her not to pursue the topic. She rolled her eyes and huffed in exasperation. Harry raised an eyebrow at the two but said nothing. Draco walked into the kitchen as Hermione took the paper from him and reread the headline. The fireplace roared in the next room and Ron walked into the dining room. Harry greeted him with a nod while Hermione gave him a smile before grabbing the map of the Ministry that Harry had brought with him.

When Draco walked back into the room, Ron grimaced. "Damn. I had a feeling that _Daily Prophet_ article was bogus."

Draco smirked. "Sorry to be a disappointment, Weasley, but for the time being you're stuck with me."

Ron shrugged and walked into the kitchen. A few moments later, he came out with a mouthful of toast and a handful of fruit that he plopped onto the table as he sat down. Harry and Draco raised an eyebrow at the redhead while Hermione just stared at him in disbelief.

Ron looked at the three confused. "What? I'm hungry."

Draco and Harry shared a glance before chuckling. Hermione stared at him as she searched for words but came up empty handed. Instead, a smile formed on her lips as she laughed at her friend and shook her head. "Okay then, anyway, we should get started."

Hermione sat across Ron while Harry sat at the head of the table. Draco sat next to Hermione and looked at the map. Noticing eyes on him, he looked up and saw Harry and Ron were looking at him with an eyebrow raised while Hermione was just looking at him curiously. He put his hands up in surrender.

"Don't worry, I won't jump in on your plans. I'm just here to observe. I've always wondered how The Golden Trio managed to save the day while still keeping the Gryffindor pride."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Alright, ignoring the ferret-

"Hey!"

"We need to find a way to get into the Ministry without being noticed. We're going to need a disguise…"

For the next few hours, Harry, Hermione, and Ron tossed ideas back and forth about how to infiltrate the Ministry. Draco, on his part, had remained quiet but listened intently to what the three were saying. After the first hour, Draco began to get bored so left the room briefly to grab a few books from the various bookshelves in the house. He almost brought down one of the books that Hermione had lent him but decided against it in case Ron became suspicious. When he returned to the dining room, Hermione was pacing as Harry stared intently at the map as if an answer would jump out at him from the page.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

More hours passed. Still, they had nothing. At one point Hermione excused herself from the room to allow herself time to breathe for a moment. Draco waited a couple minutes then, when he was sure Harry and Ron weren't paying attention, he put his book down and walked out of the room to find Hermione. He found her in the piano room, her wand holding up her hair in a messy bun as she sat on the couch, her head in her hands. He sat down next to her but said nothing.

She took a deep breath and peeked through her fingers, staring at the floor. Draco remained silent. If there's anything he had learned about his lover was that when she was stuck on something, the best option would be to stay silent and let her work it out on her own. She was stubborn like that, but he understood. He was only sitting with her just because he loved watching her think. It was fascinating. Wait, did he just think love? _No, no, no. _he thought. _Don't you _dare _go there, Draco. You don't feel that way. You only said love because it was a fitting word. That's all._ He tried to convince himself that was the reason as he ignored the small voice in the back of his head telling him he was a liar.

"There's gotta be something we're missing." she said to herself, pulling Draco out of his thoughts. He watched her as she began to think of details that they were skipping over. Only a few minutes passed before her eyes brightened with an idea. "That's it!" she said! She pulled Draco's faced to hers as she gave him a kiss before pulling back with a smile. "Thank you." she said before running out of the room back into the dining room.

Draco watched her leave. "Glad I could help." he called. He touched his lips gently before shaking his head and smiling. That girl never ceased to amaze him. But that's what he loved about her. His smile faltered. _Shit_. he thought. There it was again. _Stop using that word!_ he chided. Shaking his head rapidly to clear his head, he walked back into the dining room. He stood in the doorway leaning on the frame as he watched the scene in front of him.

"I'm telling you, this is the best way to get into the Ministry!" Hermione argued.

"By walking into the front door?" Ron asked in disbelief. "Are you insane?"

"I know it sounds crazy but I have an idea. I still have some Polyjuice Potion leftover from when we picked up Harry from the Dursley's. Enough for three draughts. What we need to do is wait for three Ministry workers and knock them out with a sleeping draught for a while. In the meantime, we put on their clothes and take one of their hairs and put it in the Polyjuice. Then we can get into the Ministry unnoticed. Then we steal the locket from Umbridge and then get the hell out of there."

Harry and Ron stared at her dumbfounded while Draco raised his eyebrows, impressed. Ron was the first to speak. "Hermione, that's got to be the craziest plan you've ever had."

"But it will work." she said determined.

Harry and Ron shared a look. "I have to admit, it's ingenious. Dangerous, but brilliant." Harry said. Ron nodded in agreement.

"Then it's decided." Hermione said. "Be ready early in the morning. We're doing this tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. "We're running out of time. The sooner we do this, the better."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Hermione's right. Once we get the locket, there's still the matter of destroying it."

Hermione nodded. The three continued to discuss the plan for tomorrow but Hermione didn't miss the distant look in Draco's eyes before he retreated to the piano room and filled the house with a soft melody. Eventually, Harry called it a day and told Ron and Hermione to go home (knowing full well that Hermione would probably stay at Grimmauld Place with Draco for the night) and get some rest since they would be getting started early in the morning. The three said goodbye as Ron and Harry flooed out of the house. Hermione went to the piano room to find Draco humming along to the song that he was playing. She wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her chin on his shoulder.

"It's beautiful." she said.

"It was an old song my mom used to sing to me when I was little." he confessed.

She smiled and kissed his neck. When she looked up, she saw that he was frowning. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head.

"Draco, talk to me. What's going on?"

He sighed and turned around, causing her to pull back. He held her hands as he pulled her close so she was standing between his legs. "Just… just be careful tomorrow, okay?"

She furrowed her brows. "Of course-"

"I'm serious. What you guys are doing tomorrow is dangerous and I just… I want you to be safe."

She gave him an understanding smile as she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him. She rested her head against his. "We will. Harry, Ron, and I have been doing stupid and dangerous things since First Year. That doesn't make them any easier but it does make me feel better knowing that I'm with them. We'll protect each other as best we can. And I promise, I'll come back after we're done."

"You better." he smirked.

She lifted her head as she chuckled. "Well we kind of have to since it's the safe house but, you know. Details."

He shook his head and smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. His arms tightened around her as the kiss deepened. She smiled into the kiss as she ran her fingers through his hair. It wasn't until later that evening after she was in a deep sleep that he had an epiphany.

He was falling for her. And hard.

Something about her snuggling closer to him in her sleep and knowing she was throwing herself to the wolves the next day made him nervous and protective of her. He knew Harry and Ron would watch out for her but he was bothered that he couldn't be there to keep her safe too. He wished he could do more but knew that be her support system would be the best thing she needed at that point.

Wrapping his arm around her and kissing her forehead he made a silent promise to her. "I will do anything and everything I can to protect you, Hermione. I promise." And with that, he fell into another restless sleep but was comforted knowing she was there.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I'm so sorry, you guys! I wanted to give you an early update this week but yesterday was just super slammed. On the plus side, I'm officially done with my second year of college! Yay! Anyway, here's a belated early update for you guys. Keep the reviews coming, I love to know what you think! Oh, and I made a mistake last chapter, Draco plays the piano in **_**this_ chapter, not the last one! Oops. I also gave you guys the wrong song. Ha! The one I imagine him playing is Photograph by Ed Sheeran. Here's the link: _****_ watch?v=GsMRETqlA3A&amp;list=PLHggqueXHeYUeL5O-PbMvwFwP_6qfoB84&amp;index=2_**

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

Draco awoke to a soft pair of lips meeting his. He kissed them back but all too soon, the kiss ended. His eyes fluttered open to find Hermione dressed with a bag hanging over her shoulder. She gave him a small smile as he looked up at her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

He shook his head. "No, I'm glad you did. Are you leaving?"

She nodded. "We want to get an early start."

He nodded in understanding. "Come here."

She smirked and obliged. As she got closer to him, he met her lips with fervor. She chuckled into the kiss and tried to pull back but he only pulled her closer until she fell on top of him with a loud "Oof!"

"I have to go!" she laughed.

He grunted in response. "I'll come back in one piece. I promise." she said.

He huffed. "Alright."

She smiled and gave him a quick peck on his lips. "See you soon." And with that, she left to go on her mission. Draco fell back onto the bed and closed his eyes as he tried to fall back asleep. He managed to get a few more hours of sleep before waking up fully again. He spent the day reading and playing the piano. While playing, he began to play a new melody that came to his head. Thinking he had to write the melody down before he lost it, he conjured up some sheet music with his wand and began to write the notes down. Before he knew it, he had a song written. All he needed was a name for it.

As he was brainstorming, he heard a loud bang and a clamor of voices coming from the hall. Then he heard Hermione's frantic voice and flew up from the piano. He walked out to the hall to find Harry and Hermione carrying a body into the dining room. He followed them quickly, finding that the body they were holding was Ron. And his shoulder was bleeding… badly.

"What happened?" Draco and Harry asked at the same time. They looked at each other in confusion then back at the redhead who Hermione was working feverishly to heal now.

"When that man latched onto us from the Ministry, I took him to the middle of the Forest of Dean where my parents used take me camping. Ron and I were able to shake him off but then I apparated back here and Ron wasn't ready for it. In the process he got splinched!"

"Man, what man?" Draco asked.

"Harry, keep putting dittany on his wound, I'll be back!" Hermione said ignoring his question. She ran past Draco and up the stairs. Draco looked at Harry who looked terrified for his friend. He knew it wouldn't be good to stand around so he did the one thing he never thought he'd do.

"What can I do to help?" he asked.

Harry looked at him suspicious but it vanished quickly when Ron groaned in pain. "Help me elevate his arm. We need to prevent him from losing anymore blood." Draco nodded and ran to the living room to grab a pillow. He came back quickly and laid it under Ron's arm, despite him yelping in pain. Hermione came running back downstairs, her arms full of medical supplies. She didn't bother asking either boy to move, she just forced herself in between the two.

She grabbed a wet rag and patted Ron's wound gently. Then she grabbed another rag and took a brown bottle and poured it onto the rag. Draco looked at the bottle in confusion: iodine. He had no idea what that was but he was just about to find out.

"Harry, Draco, hold him down." Hermione commanded. They followed her orders immediately. "This is going to hurt." she warned.

She put the rag right on Ron's wound causing him to cry loudly in pain. Draco quickly realized why Hermione had them hold him down; in his pain, Ron began to thrash around trying to get away from her but Draco and Harry had a good hold on him. He wasn't going anywhere. As Hermione finished cleaning the wound, she grabbed some gauze and a piece of fabric that she transfigured into a sling and put them on Ron. The redhead had stopped thrashing but was still whimpering in pain. Hermione shushed him as she brushed some hair out of his face causing Draco to grind his teeth. He knew she was just being caring about her friend, but he didn't like how natural that movement seemed for her.

"You're gonna be fine. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. Still, you need to rest. I'm going to give you a potion that will ease the pain and it will help you sleep. Let's get you upstairs."

Harry took that as his cue to help Ron up. Draco bit back his jealousy and took Ron's other side and picked up the rest of his weight, careful not to touch his damaged arm. The two boys led him upstairs to a spare bedroom while Hermione followed close behind. As they laid him on the bed, Hermione had Ron drink the potion. Immediately, he relaxed and within a few minutes, he was asleep.

The three went back downstairs to the dining room. Hermione went to wash the blood off her hands. Ron's blood. She washed it off as quickly as she could before turning off the water. She couldn't stand to look at it, knowing that the cause had been her fault. After drying her hands, she turned around and stared at the floor. Her breathing began to become uneven. After a moment, she choked back a sob as she covered her face with her shaking hands. Her body wracked with silent sobs.

She didn't realize her entire body was shaking until a pair of arms wrapped around her. She leaned into them as the sobs became audible. She could hardly breathe, she was crying so hard. The arms stroked her back soothingly while a quiet voice whispered to her that it was going to be okay.

"It's all my fault." she said.

Draco looked at her with furrowed brows. "What is?"

She pulled back and looked at him with desperate and broken eyes. "Ron." she choked. "If I had pulled him closer, if I had been paying more attention, he wouldn't have gotten splinched!"

Draco's hands caressed her face. "Hermione, you can't blame yourself for that."

"Malfoy's right," Harry agreed. Under different circumstances, both boys would've looked at each other like they were crazy for agreeing with one another but now was not the time to question why they were agreeing. "What happened was an accident. In no way was that your fault. Hermione, you just saved his life!"

"By nearly killing him!" she replied hysterically. Draco wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close as she began to hyperventilate.

"Breathe." he said. "It's okay. He's alive and that's the important thing. Just breathe."

Her breathing steadied slightly but she clung to him, afraid that if she let go, she'd collapse. Harry seemed to sense this.

"Maybe you should lay down too." he suggested. Draco nodded in agreement.

She shook her head. "No, I- I have to help clean up and then we have to figure out how to destroy the locket."

Harry shook his head. "Malfoy and I can take care of that. You go lay down. You'll feel better once you wake up."

Without waiting for an answer, Draco bent down and picked up Hermione's legs so he was carrying her bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as he carried her up the stairs. When they entered his room, he laid her down on the bed as he grabbed a change of clothes from the bag she brought her stuff in. Finding a pair of pyjama pants and a t-shirt, he began to take off the bloodied clothes she was wearing. The pantsuit she was in, which he assumed was from the woman she pretended to be with the polyjuice potion, were basically ruined. He'd throw them out when he left the room. As he got her into more comfortable clothing, he noticed that she stopped shaking and her breathing was becoming more even. After she was changed, he tucked her into bed.

As he got up to leave, Hermione grabbed his hand. He looked back at her confused until he saw the anxiety in her eyes. "Stay with me?" she asked.

He smiled. "Of course." He got onto the bed next to her and ran his fingers through her hair soothingly as he tried to get her to sleep. It was about half an hour before her eyes began to droop. Fifteen minutes later, she finally fell asleep. Draco smiled at her as she finally looked peaceful. He knew today would be difficult for them, he just underestimated _how _difficult. But she'd be okay. She was resilient and she'd come back from her shock stronger and more determined than ever.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He looked out the door and found Harry looking for him. When they made eye contact, Draco gave him a quick nod before carefully sliding his arm out from underneath Hermione's head. She shifted slightly in her sleep but didn't wake up. Grabbing the beat up clothes, he quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him.

He followed Harry downstairs into the living room where a fire was lit. Draco noticed that the clothes that he and Ron had been wearing were in the fire so he did the same with the pantsuit. Draco turned around to find Harry sitting in one of the chairs staring at the locket in his hands.

"So you got it?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Now we just need to find a way to destroy it."

Draco sighed and sat on the couch, across from Harry. The two were silent for a while; Draco watching the fire while Harry stared at the locket. Finally, Draco spoke.

"What happened? Hermione said there was a man that caught on with you."

Harry sighed and looked up. "The Polyjuice Potion ran out sooner than we thought. Right as we got the locket, the potion began to wear off. As soon as Umbridge saw me, she sent the dementors after me. I was able to get Hermione and Ron quickly and we ran as fast as we could to get out of there but someone was behind us. I don't know who, all I know is that he works for Voldemort. When we apparated out of there, he latched on so Hermione diverted our course to the middle of the Forest of Dean in order to lose him. After that… well, you know the rest…" he trailed off.

Draco nodded. No wonder Hermione was so panicked; the safe house almost got exposed and her friends almost got killed in the process. Fortunately, everyone was safe (yes, even Ron).

"So what now?" Draco asked.

"Now, we find a way to destroy it."

"Any ideas?"

Harry bit his cheek. "I was hoping you would have an idea."

Draco was taken aback. "Me?"

Harry nodded. "Hermione told me what you told her about Snape and his information on the horcruxes." _Of course she did_. Draco thought, rolling his eyes. "I didn't believe her at first. But when told me that you were on Veritaserum, I couldn't deny that you were telling the truth."

Draco huffed in exasperation. "Where are you going with this, Potter?"

"Did Snape give you any information on how to destroy the horcruxes? Anything at all?"

Draco thought long and hard about that. Snape had only told him what little information that he knew. Draco tried to remember if Snape had dropped any hints about how to destroy one. He was about to say no, when he remembered something that Snape had mentioned.

"Fiendfyre." he said.

"What?"

"Fiendfyre. I remember Snape saying something about how Fiendfyre is strong enough that it can destroy anything. Even the darkest of magical objects. I wonder if it can destroy the horcrux."

Harry thought about that. "It could work. But the problem is, if the caster is not experienced, Fiendfyre could get out of control really quick. And it can't be put out by normal or enchanted water. It can only be put out by some sort of charm right?"

Draco nodded. "Right. And you're right about the caster being inexperienced but you're forgetting who Snape's favorite student was _and_ who spent all last summer learning everything Dark Magic related."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You know how to control Fiendfyre?"

Draco nodded. "And the charm to stop it."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Then let's do it."

Quickly, the boys ran to the piano room and transfigured it to look like how Hermione always changed it when they were training. The mirrors were gone, however as Draco cast a spell that would allow the room to be flame proof. Harry set the locket in the middle of the floor then stood in the hallway in front of the doorway with Draco as they prepared to destroy it.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded. He cast the spell then quickly put a protection shield in front of the room to keep the rest of the house safe. Immediately the room went ablaze. The horcrux instantly caught on fire and blew up. Suddenly a giant cloud of smoke appeared out of the locket; the cloud kept growing and growing until a face appeared in the smoke. The face of Voldemort. Draco had to bite back a scream as the face that haunted his nightmares appeared in the piano room. But as soon as the face appeared, it vanished and the locket jumped from the final impact of the explosion and then it fell back to the ground.

Draco looked at Harry and noticed that he had his hand on his forehead and seemed to be straining to stay focused but said nothing as he regained composure. As Draco cast the charm that got rid of the Fiendfyre, the boys waited a few moments before taking down the protective charm and hesitantly walking into the room. The fireproof charm worked, the room looked like it hadn't been touched at all. Draco turned the room back to it's normal arrangement while Harry picked up the locket from the floor. It was completely broken. The Fiendfyre definitely worked. When they were done, they walked into the dining room and stared at the locket as Harry placed it on the table.

"Now what?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. "Now nothing. We have to wait for Ron to heal and who knows how long that will take. For now, we keep getting as much information on the horcruxes as we can: find their locations and find out other ways to destroy them."

Draco nodded. "Well, if there's anything else I can do to help let me know." He said as he walked into the kitchen to turn the kettle on.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. Draco Malfoy just offered to help. Hell, he _did_ just help destroy a horcrux. And he helped Hermione calm down. What in Merlin's name was going on? If Harry's world wasn't already flipped upside down, he'd be worried he was going mad.

He followed Draco into the kitchen to find him pouring tea into a mug. He watched him as he put a couple of sugar cubes in with a touch of cream; just how Hermione liked it. He really seemed to know her well. Harry smiled despite himself.

"You really care about her don't you?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.

Draco stopped stirring the tea for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Hermione. You really care about her don't you?"

Draco's head perked up at her name but he said nothing. Harry smirked. "I'll take that as a yes."

Draco grabbed the mug and began to walk out of the room. He made it a few steps behind Harry into the dining room before he stopped. "Yes." he said, before walking back upstairs to his room. To Hermione.

Harry nodded. Maybe they weren't so bad for each other after all…


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: So, I just finished writing the story... Still not sure how I feel about that. I've grown very attached to these characters and finishing the story makes me feel a bit sad cause that means writing it is over... At least I still have you guys to post this for! Yay! So updates are going to stay consistently two a week but occasionally I will give you guys a third update (like today). Also, if any of you read my story **_**All's Fair in Love and War**_**, you should know that the sequel for that story will **_**not**** _be happening after all. I don't like the idea that I had for that story so until I get a better thought process for it, that story has currently been abandoned. Sorry guys. _**

**_Tallyho!_**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

Harry's suspicions were right: Ron would take a while to heal from the splinching. Considering it was too dangerous to move him, Harry brought some of his and Ron's stuff to Grimmauld Place where they would stay until it was safe for Ron to leave the house. Hermione ended up bringing more clothing and necessities to Grimmauld Place since it would be four people who was staying there now instead of the occasional two. Draco and Harry told Hermione and Ron how they destroyed the horcrux; both were speechless but impressed and relieved that there was one less thing to worry about now. Hermione asked if Draco could teach her the Fiendfyre spell but he hesitated since it took him a long time to learn to control the spell. She hadn't convinced him yet, but hoped she would soon.

One morning, Hermione realized that since they'd all be staying at Grimmauld Place while Ron was recuperating, she would have to tell him about her and Draco. That was _not_ something she was looking forward to.

But she had to do it.

After everyone was settled in the house, she went to Ron's room to check on him. When she couldn't avoid it any longer, she put up a silencing charm around the room to talk to him. She watched his face carefully as she explained to her best friend that she was now seeing their worst enemy (well, other than Voldemort). He was emotionless for the better half of it but as Hermione reached the end of her explanation, his face began to turn red.

It was silent in the room when she was done. Hermione awaited anxiously for him to say something but was only answered with silence and an angry stare.

"Please say something." she begged.

"Well, you've certainly moved up in the world," he said, bitterly.

She was taken aback. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Krum, McLaggen, Me, and now Malfoy. You seem to always go for the guy with the big name or the big reputation."

She was speechless."W-what? Are you insane?! That's not the case and you know it. Viktor was and is just a friend, McLaggen, I didn't even _date_! We just went to Slughorn's party together! And _you!_ We dated for less than a month before you broke it off, Ron. Remember that was _your_ idea, not mine!

"You said you agreed that it was a good idea," Ron interjected.

"And I stand by my decision! But that's not the point! The point is Draco..." she sighed, "he's different, Ron. He's actually very sweet but you've been so caught up in your hatred towards him, you won't even give him a chance!"

"He's a terrible person!"

"You don't even know him!"

"And you do?"

"Yes!"

The redhead was seething but stayed silent as "Does Harry know?"

She nodded in response, too angry to reply.

He bit his cheek and shook his head in disgust. "How could you do this, Hermione?!" he finally exploded. "After all he's done to us, how can you sit there and be okay with the fact that you're _dating _him?!"

She took a deep breath to calm her anger before speaking. "I told you, Ron, he's different than when we were in school. He's a completely different person when we're alone. The bully we knew in school was just a boy trying to fit in. Please, Ron, understand that he's not a bad person-"

"Not a bad person?! He's a bloody Slytherin! Nothing good ever comes out of Slytherin, Hermione you know that!"

"A house at Hogwarts doesn't define someone's character Ron. It only establishes it. The person has to grow and develop from that. Just because he was in Slytherin doesn't mean he's evil. Just like being in Gryffindor doesn't make you a good person!"

"He's still a prick who called you a… a… _that word_! And made our lives a living hell for _six years!_ And you're just going to forgive him for that?!"

"Yes." she said simply. She had calmed down enough in order to keep a straight head about this conversation but it didn't seem to be helping much.

Ron was speechless and fuming. He couldn't believe his best friend could do this. He was so angry he couldn't think anymore. "Just go." he said.

"Ron…"

"I said go!"

She sighed and walked to the door as she took the silencing charm down. "Don't forget to drink your potion." she said before closing the door behind her. She walked back into Draco's room and found him on the bed reading a book. She flopped onto the bed next to him, covering her face with a pillow and made a sound that was between a scream and a groan.

"That bad, huh?" Draco asked, putting his book down.

She sighed and hugged the pillow to her midsection. "Well… he… ugh! Yeah, that bad."

Draco chuckled. "Well what did you expect?"

She huffed. "I was hoping he'd be understanding like Harry."

"Well, Potter heard us talking and has seen us interact. Weasley hasn't. Potter at least had some confirmation that you're not completely insane. All Weasley has is your word. He'll understand eventually. Maybe not now but someday."

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "Are you actually defending Ron?"

He shrugged. "You're rubbing off on me a little too much I think."

"Clearly." she said chuckling.

He smiled at her. "Come on," he said getting off the bed.

She sat up on her arms. "Come on where?"

"I want to show you something." he said, hardly containing his smile. A smile growing on her face as well, she tossed the pillow aside as she got up and followed him downstairs. He led her to the piano room and sat down at the piano, patting the seat next to him.

He began to play her the song he had composed.

Immediately, it was as if a spell had been cast. Nothing could disturb the song or Draco's playing. It was quiet and beautiful but still full of passion. Hermione smiled as she watched him play; he seemed to zone off into his own world as his fingers played the keys with ease and poise. He seemed so regal and calm, it was easy to see the Malfoy genes in him. He looked as if nothing in the world could bother him; only those who looked closely could see the loneliness and the fear in his eyes that he held deep inside. Draco may have opened himself up to her somewhat, but she could still see that he was a broken man who felt lost and desperate for something in his world to be good. Hermione may have opened that door, but she knew that the only way his world would turn around was if he allowed it to. She was grateful that he had access to the piano; he seemed to be happier when around the instrument. It calmed him and allowed him to just be himself for a while.

Watching him play, Hermione realized that the Draco she had been trying to get Ron and Harry to see was sitting right in front of her. Sweet, caring, a little rough around the edges but passionate; a young man with big dreams in a small world. Someone who was calmed by the keys of a piano and held on to her for dear life after a nightmare. Someone who just wants to be accepted. That was the Draco she wanted her friends to see and get to know. That was the Draco she had grown to care for. That was the Draco she loved.

She shook her head. _Wait, loved?_ she thought. That couldn't be right. They may be seeing each other (hell, most of their relationship was physical) but it wasn't _that_ serious… right?

The last note hung in the air as he finished the song. Hermione looked at him as his eyes met hers. She gave him a small smile. "It's beautiful."

He smiled proudly. "I wrote it myself."

"Really? It's amazing. What's it called?"

He shrugged. "I haven't decided a name for it yet."

She nodded in understanding. Their eyes searched one anothers for a moment as Hermione's mind whirled with thoughts surrounding that dreaded four letter word. She couldn't really be feeling that emotion towards him could she? Sure, she cared for him. She'd even admitted that she liked him. But _love_? That just… that seemed so wrong.

And yet… at the same time, it felt _so_ right.

He was caught by surprise for a moment when she kissed him but he caught up quickly. The kiss deepened and neither stopped it until air was absolutely necessary. They rested their foreheads together as they caught their breathing. When their eyes met, Draco couldn't help but smile at her.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"I just…" _I think I love you._ "I don't know. I just felt like doing it." she replied smiling.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Alright then."

She winked at him before taking her turn at the piano. They continued to play the piano for most of the evening, each taking turns at playing different songs and even teaching each other some of their favorites. They shared some laughs and some smiles all the while trying to figure out if that four letter word they had in their heads truly meant anything.

* * *

As Ron healed, training was put on hold, however Hermione did ensure that all three boys were keeping up with practicing protections spells and charms. When Mrs. Weasley saw Ron during an Order meeting, she freaked out and demanded to know what happened. Before he could answer, Hermione beat him to the punch by telling Mrs. Weasley that Ron had a splinching accident while apparating but it wasn't as severe as it looked. Ron, although still angry with her, nodded a thanks in her direction for covering for him. If Mrs. Weasley knew _how_ Ron got splinched, she would have lost it on all three of them.

It was November now (two weeks since Ron's accident) and he was still not speaking to Hermione. She would try to get Ron to talk to her but he would only grunt and look away from her in return. After expressing her frustrations to Harry, he took matters into his own hands. He sat Ron down in his room one evening and let him have it.

"I don't understand why you can't just be happy for her!"

"It's Draco Malfoy! He tormented us for _years_ and was responsible for Dumbledore's death and yet you're _okay_ with him and Hermione dating?!"

"I'm not okay with it, Ron, I've just accepted it. Hermione's a smart girl, she knows what she's doing-"

"Well clearly she's not _that _smart-"

"Ron, enough! They're together and that's all there is to it! Hermione is an adult, she's entitled to her own decisions. If this is what she wants, fine. I may not be okay with it but I'm going to support her because she's supported us in everything else we've done. And even if she hasn't supported us, she's been there no matter what. You owe her the same support in return."

Ron muttered inaudibly but Harry was sure he thought he heard a curse in there somewhere.

He sighed. "Ron, she's not asking you to be friends with Malfoy. She just wants you to understand and be happy for her. So, please, just think about it."

Harry turned on his heel and left the room to find Hermione standing outside, next to the door. He looked at her waiting for her reaction: she only gave him a small smile and mouthed "Thank you." He nodded and smiled in return before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and walking downstairs with her to play a game of Wizard's Chess which he had brought over when they moved into Grimmauld Place.

It would be a couple more days before Ron would heed Harry's advice. When he finally did, he found Hermione reading in the piano room while Draco played the piano softly. Neither of them noticed his entrance, so he had to clear his throat to get Hermione's attention. Both looked towards him.

Avoiding eye contact with Draco, Ron looked only at her. "Can we talk?"

Hermione and Draco shared a glance before she looked back at Ron and nodded. Ron's eyes never left her, in turn causing him to miss the glare Draco gave him as they left the room.

He led her to the living room, where they sat down on opposite sides of the room. She curled up on the couch as he remained silent. Finally, the silence became too much for her to handle.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Ron sighed. "I- I don't understand why, of all people, you'd choose _him_," he spat out the word "him," "but Harry's right. You've been there for us through everything and what kind of best friend would I be if I didn't do the same in return? I may not understand it or be okay with it but you're my friend and I love you. So… I'll support you, I guess. And I'm sorry for what I said about you moving up in the world."

Hermione couldn't help the smile that was growing on her face. "Ron, that's… that's so mature of you."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well don't expect me to become best friends with him or anything."

She chuckled. "You've already done more than I could ask for, Ron. That's good enough for me. And of course, you're forgiven." She stood up at the same time Ron did and opened her arms for a hug. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Thank you." she said.

"I wouldn't thank me yet." he said pulling out of the hug. "We may still try to kill each other."

"Not if I have anything to do with it." she said smirking.

He looked at her warily. "You scare me sometimes, you know that?"

She pursed her lips. "I think you've mentioned it once or twice, yes."

He nodded. "Well at least we've established it."

She chuckled and sent him to the dining room so she could tend to his shoulder. It was healing nicely but it still had a ways to go before Ron would be able to apparate again. After she cleaned up his bandage, she left Ron with Harry in the dining room and returned to the piano room to finish her book. Draco was still playing the piano but quieter and slower. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I take it went well?" he asked.

She nodded. "Great." he said sternly.

She noticed the strain in his voice. "What's wrong?"

He said nothing.

"Draco." she said kissing the base of his neck. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he said his voice still stern but strained as he tried to resist her kisses. Hermione reached his cheek when an idea hit her and she stopped.

"You were eavesdropping weren't you?" she asked.

He said nothing again.

"Draco!"

"Well, can you blame me? He's been ignoring you for weeks and finally he wants to talk? Of course I was going to listen; I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat you know." she said.

"What?" he asked with furrowed brows.

She shook her head. "Muggle saying. That's not the point. The point is you shouldn't have eavesdropped. It was a private conversation."

"I'm not sure it was that private since you probably would've told me what he said anyway…"

She gave him a warning glance. He put his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright, no more eavesdropping."

"Good." she said as she kissed his cheek and began to walk out of the room.

"If I do, I just won't tell you." he muttered quietly.

"I heard that!" Hermione called causing him to chuckle to himself.

A few nights later, Draco was reading one of Hermione's books when she entered his room with a gleam in her eye. He noticed immediately and put the book down in curiosity. She sat down on the bed in front of him and bit her lip. They stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to speak. After a moment, Draco spoke. "Is there a reason you're eyeing me like a hawk watches it's dinner? Because if you wanted to get cozy, all you had to do was ask."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be crude, Draco."

He feigned shock and put his hand on his heart. "Me? Crude? _Never_!"

She smirked and shook her head. Draco put the book aside and rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward towards his girlfriend. "Alright, what are you scheming?"

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You only have that gleam in your eye when you're scheming something."

She was taken aback. "I- I don't have a gleam in my eye, nor do I scheme!"

"Yes you do!" several voices replied instead of one. Hermione recognized the other two immediately. She turned around to find Harry and Ron walking by Draco's bedroom door on the way to their rooms.

"You're not helping!" Hermione said as she got up and walked to the doorway. Harry simply laughed. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her best friend before closing the door and reclaiming her spot on the bed. "Now, where was I?"

"You were scheming." Draco replied with a small smile on his lips.

"I- I don't- forget it." she said, shaking her head. "Anyway, the reason why I apparently look like I'm scheming is because something occurred to me regarding training."

"Which would be what?"

"Do you know how to conjure a patronus charm?"

His eyes widened in surprise at the question. He hadn't been prepared for that. Frankly, if he was honest, he'd forgotten all about Patronus charms. He'd been so wrapped up in worrying about his mother that he hadn't thought about anything regarding training except when they _were_ training, so he was quite taken aback when Hermione brought it up.

"Um… n-no." he confessed, looking at his hands.

Hermione gave him a small smile. "You want to learn?"

His head shot up. "I- you- In front of Potter and Weasley? No way!" he said.

She shook her head. "They wouldn't be there. Harry learned to conjure one back in Third Year and Ron and I learned in Fifth during our time with the D. A. If you wanted to learn, it'd just be you and me."

He shook his head. "Why would I need to learn to conjure one anyway?"

She gave him a knowing look. "The dementors are working with Voldemort. When it comes time to face him, we need every bit of protection that we can get. That includes Patronus charms. Now do you want to learn how to conjure one or not?"

"Yes!" he said before he could stop himself. His eyes widened and he hid his face in his hands out of embarrassment. He felt soft hands grab his and pull them off his face. Before he could open his eyes, he felt a soft pair of lips meet his. It ended all too soon however, when she pulled away. He opened his eyes to find her chocolate brown ones looking at him.

"It's okay to want to learn, you know. All great wizards had to start somewhere."

He huffed as some of his hair fell into his eyes. "Yeah, well Malfoys aren't ones who usually ask for help. We try to figure out everything on our own. We're stubborn that way. Besides, I'm not a great wizard; I'm a Death Eater remember?"

Hermione's eyes softened. She moved closer to him until their knees were touching. She held both of his hands in hers and laid her forehead against his. Slowly, she moved one hand to his arm that held the Dark Mark. She began to slowly move his sleeve up his arm but his hand covered hers abruptly to stop her.

"Draco,"

"Don't."

She sighed and pulled back to look at him. They hadn't talked about his Death Eater past or his Dark Mark before; neither had brought it up because it was such a difficult subject. However, over the couple of months that they had spent together, both had grown more comfortable around one another and Hermione decided it was time they discussed it. The only way to help Draco was to help him face his past and acknowledge that it was just that: his past.

"You're not a Death Eater, Draco."

He snorted. "I'm serious." she continued. "Just because you have the Mark doesn't mean you're one of them. You're not like them."

"How would you know? How do you know what I'm like? How do you know what _they're_ like?" he challenged, tears threatening to escape his eyes. He wasn't one to cry but he had held so much inside him over the past year that it was all starting to spill over and threatening to come out. He closed his eyes trying to stop the tears but a few still fell down his face. Hermione gently wiped the tears away and then entwined her fingers with his as he opened his eyes.

"I know because I've seen how the Death Eaters work." she said. "I've seen how ruthless they are, I've seen their disregard for the innocent. Their views are twisted and wrong but yours are not. You came to me asking for help. You know that they're wrong, you know better than them. You didn't want the Mark, you just wanted to survive. Death Eaters don't come to the Light seeking help so they can save their mothers. You've never been a bad person, Draco; you made few bad decisions because you were seeking acceptance and didn't know any better at the time.

"I know all this about you because I see you. The _real_ you. The you that nobody else sees unless they really look at you. A boy without a choice. Someone who became a man too soon. Someone who just wants to protect his mother. Someone who's too afraid to trust because he's been let down too many times. Someone who thinks that their Hogwarts house and the Mark on their arm defines them."

She began to push his sleeve up again but this time, he didn't stop her. She rolled it up to his elbow and traced the outline of the Mark with her finger. "It's like I told Ron, a house at Hogwarts doesn't define someone's character, just like this Mark," she put her hand over it, "does _not_ define who you are."

He looked at where her hand was on his arm and put his hand over hers. He couldn't help but be amazed at how easily she touched the Mark; as if it didn't mean he was supposed to be devoted to Voldemort. As if it were just another mark on the body; perhaps a scar of sorts. Nothing more.

He looked up to find her eyes searching his face. The corner of his lips grew into a crooked small smile which she returned. "Why are you so accepting of me?" he asked.

She sighed. "Because I'm stubborn, and I want to believe that there is good in everyone. You might say it's a Gryffindor tendency, but it's actually just how I was raised. And when I look at you, I'm reminded why I believe it. You left Voldemort's army to join the Light to rescue your mother and in turn help us win. That right there is proof that there's good in you. If I'm being honest, I think there was always good in you; you were just never given the opportunity to prove it."

He smiled at her. His hand caressed her face as he pulled her close to kiss her. She smiled as their lips met. Her hands wrapped around his neck as his fingers became tangled in her hair. He pulled her closer as the kiss deepened and laid them both down on the bed. As he began to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, she grabbed her wand and muttered a silencing charm around the room before recapturing his mouth with hers. They shared kisses, smiles, and laughter throughout the night. This rendezvous was not like the others they had shared; something was different about this one. It was more intimate and gentle in the way that they touched one another, as if they were trying to memorize each other: every curve, the feel of their skin touching, the way their lips felt when they met.

The early hours of the morning found them tangled together, every part of their body touching. Their breathing was slow and steady as their foreheads touched and their fingers entwined while their eyes stared into each other. The only movement was the rise and fall of their chests and the small smile that was growing on Draco's face.

"What?" Hermione asked noticing the smile.

"Nothing." he replied. "It's just… thank you."

Her brows furrowed. "For what?"

"For not giving up on me. For believing that I can actually do something right. And… just for being amazing in general."

A smile tugged on the edge of her lips. She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. She pulled back and bit her lip while trying to hide her smile. "So… you think I'm amazing, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're never going to let me live that down now, are you?"

She shook her head as she giggled. He chuckled and kissed her to quiet her laughter before falling asleep with sleep with a smile on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Cute fluffy chapter alert! This is actually one of my favorite chapters so I hope you guys enjoy it. Also, I just realized how many people I have following this story: over 150! That's more than **_**All's Fair**_** and **_**Old Friends**_** combined! You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the love! Also, Happy Mother's Day! Have a great Sunday!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

The weeks dragged on as December came closer and no news of the rescue mission for Draco's mother came. He began to get irritable and could never sit still in one place for long. Even the piano, his sanctuary and escape for the last four months since he had arrived, could no longer ease his troubled mind. Hermione was able to keep him calm for the most part but occasionally, she'd drag Draco to a secluded room in the house where she would allow him to yell, rant, and punch all the walls he wanted without getting into an altercation with the boys.

After an argument between Draco and Ron almost came to blows one day, however, Hermione decided that letting Draco rant wasn't the best decision to keep him distracted. She took him to his (well, _their_) bedroom, locked the door and placed a silencing charm around the room; she turned to find him standing with his arms crossed and his breathing heavy.

"What are we doing in here, Granger?"

She stood up tall and put her chin out. "I'm going to teach you how to conjure a Patronus."

He scoffed. "Now?"

"Yes. Now. I've been waiting because I wanted to make sure that you were ready but you need a distraction and this is the best thing to distract you. Plus it also counts as training which we need to catch up on."

He stared at her, his breathing still heavy but slowing down. He remained silent for a moment before huffing in frustration and dropping his arms. "Fine."

"Good." she nodded. She walked towards him as he pulled his wand out of his pocket. "First thing's first:" she said as she put her hands on his shoulders and smiled as he immediately relaxed under her touch, "you need to be calm. Take a deep breath."

He complied. "Good," she said moving behind him but keeping her hands on his shoulders, "now you need to think of a good memory. A _happy_ memory. Dementors hate light so the better the memory, the brighter the Patronus. Once you have that memory, put your wand out and say _Expecto Patronum_."

He closed his eyes as he thought of a memory that would be good enough for a Patronus. He thought of his childhood and of his mother teaching him to play piano. He thought of her smile and her hugs. Her soft humming as she wandered around Malfoy Manor and the way her voice sounded when she read to him as a child. Thinking about her made his heart hurt but he kept replaying the memories, hoping it would be strong enough.

Taking a deep breath, he extended his arm and spoke the incantation. "_Expecto Patronum_!"

A small sliver of light appeared from the end of his wand but it faded as quickly as it appeared. Draco groaned as he dropped his arm. Hermione's hands moved from his shoulders to his arms as she rubbed up and down them soothingly. "That was good." she said. "Not many people can get even a flicker on their first try."

"It wasn't good enough, though." he said bitterly.

She kissed the crook where his neck met his shoulder. "Practice makes perfect. If I may ask, what did you think about?"

He turned around and placed his hands around her waist as he pulled her close. He took a deep breath before responding. "My mother," he confessed. "I thought about… the good memories I had of her; mostly from when I was a child."

Hermione's eyes softened. "I'm sure those are beautiful memories." she said.

He merely nodded. She took a deep breath. "They may not be strong enough though. Maybe try something else?"

He nodded and took a deep breath before turning back around. Hermione kept her hands on his shoulders for reassurance. He closed his eyes again as he tried to think of another memory. He tried any memories he had of his school years but quickly pushed them away when he realized most of his school year memories involved bullying people; his girlfriend, most of all.

Suddenly, something went off in his mind. Just thinking of her in passing made him want to smile. So he tried the memories of Hermione: the Yule Ball during their Fourth Year when she looked like a princess, her smile, their first kiss, all the nights they spent tangled together, the way she looked when she first woke up in the morning, the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating, the way she believed in him and trusted him, the way she treated the Dark Mark on his arm as if it were nothing. The final reassurance for him was the small circles she was creating with her hands on his back at the moment. With a surge of strength, he took a deep breath and tried the spell again.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" he yelled.

Suddenly, a bright white figure appeared out of the end of Draco's wand. The light quickly took shape into a creature no bigger than Crookshanks.

A fox.

The small animal danced around the room as trickles of light followed it. Hermione smiled and laughed as the fox circled her and Draco. He stared at it in disbelief; he had done it. He had actually conjured a Patronus. A smile grew on his face as he stared at the creature in front of him. It stared back at him with wide silver eyes that matched the rest of its body.

He could understand why Dementors hated Patronuses. The little creature beamed with so much happiness, _Draco's_ happiness, that any creature that fed off fear and negativity would be incinerated on site by the small animal and the positivity it was showing. Draco sighed in content as he waved his wand and the fox vanished.

He looked at Hermione who was beaming. "I knew you could do it." she said confidently.

He smirked at her. Grabbing her by the waist, he tackled her onto the bed. She squealed with laughter as he laid kisses all along her neck and on her mouth. Hermione ensured that the silencing charm was still in effect before tossing her and Draco's wands aside and succumbed to his kisses.

They found themselves tangled in the sheets once again, Hermione's head lying on Draco's chest as he played with her hair. He was humming quietly to himself as she was soothed by the steady beat of his heart. She sighed as she nuzzled closer to him causing a small smile to form on his lips.

"Draco."

"Hm?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking about when you conjured your Patronus?"

His hand stopped playing with her hair for a moment before his fingers wrapped themselves in her curls again. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

She chuckled. "Try me."

He took a deep breath before answering. He wasn't sure why but telling her what enabled him to conjure his Patronus seemed… well, intimate. Not that what they had been doing for the past two months wasn't intimate but this… this confirmed that what he felt for her was stronger than just a basic attraction. He cared for her more than he could say and being away from her made him feel uncomfortable. She had become a part of him; she saved his life, cared for him, protected him, was his friend. No, friend wasn't the proper word. She wasn't just a companion nor was she just a lover, she was so much more than that. She was… there wasn't a word to describe what she was to him. She was just a part of him and his life and he knew now that the didn't want to let her go; he _wouldn't_ let her go.

He knew then in that moment that he loved her. It wasn't any big revelation like in books; the world didn't change right before his eyes, his breath wasn't swept away from him, and his heart didn't start to beat so rapidly that he thought it would burst. Instead, it was just a simple realization, as if remembering something once forgotten. He couldn't describe it; he just knew that when he wanted to be the only pair of lips she ever kissed, the only one she ever made love with, the only one whom she would smile at with absolute trust and adoration. He wanted to be the one she woke up to everyday for the rest of their lives.

He wanted to love her in every way he could until his last breath.

And he would. Merlin as his witness, he would.

"You." he finally confessed.

She looked up at him. "M-me?" she asked confused.

He nodded. "Told you you wouldn't believe me."

She rolled onto her stomach and scooted to where they were face to face. "Why me?"

He smirked. "Isn't it obvious, Hermione?"

She blinked. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "You are the light in my darkness." he whispered.

She gasped and Draco's brow furrowed. Before he had a chance to speak, however, Hermione's lips met his. He didn't have to hear her words to know that what he felt for her was requited. Though neither had uttered those three little words that people waited their entire lives to hear, they knew that they loved each other deeply and passionately. This was no longer a simple crush between two teenagers; this was love between two people who would go to the ends of the earth to protect one another.

When they pulled out of the kiss for air, Hermione rubbed her thumb across Draco's cheek as one of his hands was tangled in her hair while the other lightly drew patterns on the small of her back.

"And you are mine." she whispered.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Alright guys, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for. It's time we finally meet the one and only: Narcissa Malfoy...**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

December. Ron's arm was almost completely healed which allowed them to go back to more rigorous training. However, Draco was becoming more irritable by the day as he still received no news from Kingsley about his mother. During the last Order meeting, Kingsley could give him no information on the rescue mission which in turn led Draco to have horrible nightmares for the next few evenings. Hermione had to brew him a Dreamless Sleep Potion to ease the nightmares but he would still wake up exhausted from the stress over worrying about Narcissa.

Hermione tried to get him to play the piano again in order to ease his stress but he didn't play with the same conviction that he used to play with. It may have been his sanctuary but it was also just a sad reminder of his mother.

Then, finally, he got some information.

Kingsley pulled him aside at an Order meeting and told him that everything was set to go and the rescue mission would take place within the next few days. For a split second, Draco was relieved, but in a flash it was gone as he started to worry about how well the rescue mission would play out. Kingsley had told him the plan so he knew every detail but, still, he worried; what if Snape couldn't get the aurors into the mansion? What if one of the Death Eaters saw them? What if Narcissa was too frail to move? He worried and stressed to the point that he made himself sick. Repeatedly, he found himself on the bathroom floor throwing up what little contents his stomach held (since he was too stressed to eat) into the toilet. Hermione managed to find an herbal tea that helped calm his stomach and ease his nausea but he still stressed and was hardly sleeping at night. Whenever he did sleep, it was at odd hours of the day. Hermione made sure to keep Ron and Harry away from Draco for the time being since she knew he needed his space and it would hopefully allow him to get some sleep whenever he did manage to get some.

In the meantime, she, Harry, and Ron continued to train and discuss where the next horcrux might be and how to get it. After Harry had a vivid dream one night, they were able to determine that one of the horcruxes was at Hogwarts and that another one was at Gringotts; which one was where, they didn't know but it was better than nothing.

A couple more days passed and they still hadn't heard anything from Kingsley about how the rescue mission went. Draco was still miserable but Hermione had managed to coax him to go downstairs and play the piano for a while since it might lift his spirits. He played a slow, melancholic song halfheartedly. Hermione sighed and kissed the top of his head before walking out of the room. She was sitting in the living room watching Harry and Ron play wizard's chess when she heard the front door open. When she looked up to the door frame, she saw Kingsley walk in.

"Is she-?" she asked.

A small smile formed on Kingsley's lips as he nodded. "They're bringing her in right now."

Hermione shot up from the couch and uttered a quick thank you to Kingsley before going to the piano room to get Draco. He was still playing the same song, his head fallen dejected.

She walked up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Hey."

"Hey." he said quietly.

She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss where his neck met his shoulder. "I have a surprise for you."

"It's not more of that tea is it?"

She chuckled. "No, this is something better. _Much_ better."

He sighed as he stopped playing and looked at her with sad eyes. She gave him a small smile. "It's worth it. I promise."

Trusting her, he grabbed her outstretched hand and let her lead him to the hallway. She let go of his hand as she put a supporting hand on his back and led him to meet his surprise. He looked up towards the front door and saw Snape, his aunt Andromeda, and a hooded figure standing in between them. He was about to ask what they were doing here when the hooded figure dropped her hood. Draco's breath hitched in his throat.

There, in between Snape and Andromeda, stood Narcissa Malfoy.

Her blonde hair had lost it's platinum sheen, she looked skinnier than was good for her, and her eyes held fear and apprehension but she was here, in Grimmauld Place. And she was alive. It was as if Christmas had come early for Draco. Narcissa's eyes scanned the foyer of the house that she hadn't been in in years. Her eyes froze when she saw her son standing in front of her.

Neither said a word for a moment as they stared at one another. It was as if time was standing still.

"M-mum?" Draco said timidly.

She said nothing. Only stared.

Getting a small nudge from Hermione, he took a tentative step forward. And then another. He kept taking them until he was right in front of her. "Mum… it's me."

Narcissa lifted a shaking hand to Draco's face but hesitated before touching him. She softly stroked his cheek as his eyes began to water.

"Draco," she said, her voice hoarse. "You're alive?"

He bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah, I'm alive." he whispered.

All at once, time began to move again as Narcissa pulled Draco in for a bone crushing hug which he returned full-heartedly. Both had tears streaming down their faces as Draco rushed out a series of apologies. Shortly after, Draco led Narcissa to the dining room followed by Snape and Andromeda while Kingsley took leave. Out of kindness and, dare they say it, respect, Harry and Ron stayed in the living room continuing their game while Draco and his mother were reunited. Hermione went back to watching them but were soon joined by Andromeda who sat next to Hermione on the couch.

Taking Hermione's hand in hers, Andromeda looked at her with nothing but gratefulness in her eyes. "Thank you." she said.

Hermione smiled. "I'm flattered by your gratitude, Andy, but I'm not the one you should be thanking. It's the Aurors who rescued Mrs. Malfoy."

Andromeda gave her a knowing smile. "I already have thanked them for the wonderful job they have done in rescuing my sister. But you, my dear, you set the ball in motion by saving Draco and talking to Kingsley about rescuing Narcissa. I will forever be grateful."

"I'm glad I could help." Hermione said smiling.

Just then, someone cleared their throat. The four looked to the door frame to find Snape standing there. "Andromeda," he said, "Narcissa is asking for you."

Andromeda looked at Hermione and gave her hand a small pat before walking out of the room to tend to her sister. "I will be taking my leave," he said, "Goodbye Miss Granger. Potter, Weasley."

"Goodbye Professor," Harry said before returning to his game with Ron. If Harry was bothered by Snape's presence in the house, he did a great job hiding it. In fact, he seemed completely unfazed by everything that had happened within the last hour as did Ron. Hermione just assumed it was because they either had other things on their mind or they just didn't care. She wasn't sure which she preferred.

Getting up from the couch, Hermione followed Snape into the foyer.

"Professor," she started. Snape turned around and faced her. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"W-well…" she hesitated, "Are you going to be okay? I- I mean, from You-Know-Who?"

A ghost of a smirk appeared on his face. "I've had an alibi for quite a while now and I'm quite skilled in Occlumency in case the Dark Lord has any suspicions. So, yes, I will be just fine."

She nodded. "Professor, I just wanted to say thank you for all the help you've given us. A lot of this wouldn't have been possible without you so, thank you."

He merely nodded and turned towards the door. Right before he walked out, he turned his head back to her. "Take care of yourself, Miss Granger."

"You as well, Professor."

She wasn't sure, but she swore she saw Snape smile before he left.

Hearing a noise behind her, she turned around to find Andromeda walking out of the dining room with Narcissa by her side and Draco following close behind. She walked up to the sisters with a small smile.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I don't think we've ever formally met." she said putting her hand out, "I'm Hermione Granger."

A small smile formed on Narcissa's lips as she shook Hermione's hand. Despite her haggard appearance, Hermione was surprised at how strong Narcissa's grip was. "Miss Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you. And an honor. Draco told me what you did. Not many people would work as diligently as you have to help us Malfoys. Thank you."

"I'm glad I was able to help. If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

Narcissa smiled and nodded as Andromeda led her upstairs to where she would be staying. Draco followed but gave Hermione's hand a quick squeeze first. She went back to the living room to tell Harry and Ron goodnight before going into her and Draco's room to wait for him.

Draco watched his aunt give his mother a sleeping draught so that she might get some rest. Both he and Narcissa wanted to talk and explain everything to each other but Andromeda insisted that his mother get some well deserved rest and a chance to absorb everything that had happened. She then insisted that Draco get some rest too since his appearance was only slightly better than his mother's. Giving his mom one last hug for the night, he followed Andromeda out of the room to let her sleep. He and Andromeda stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"It's good to see you, Draco."

"It's good to see you too, Aunt Andy."

She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't look good, sweetie."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of went crazy with worry during Mum's rescue. But I'll be okay. Now that she's here, I can breathe easier."

She nodded in understanding. "Well you take care of your mum but take care of yourself too, okay?"

He nodded. "Good," she said, "I'll be back later in the week to check on her."

He nodded and then his aunt left. He walked into his room to find Hermione sitting on the bed waiting for him with a bag next to her on the floor. His brows furrowed. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Just to the next room. I don't think it's appropriate for us to stay in the same room while your mother's here. She's gone through enough shock as it is; I don't think she needs anymore by finding out that her son is living in sin with a muggleborn."

He raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about living in sin?"

"Since your mother got here." She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It won't be that big of a change. I'll just be down the hall for now."

He rolled his eyes but sighed in defeat. "I hate it when you're right."

"Which is all the time." she joked smiling.

He smiled at her in return before leaning in to kiss her. She leaned her forehead against his as they embraced, both enjoying their moment of peace.

"I love you." Draco said before he could stop himself. Hermione pulled back and looked at him as he squeezed his eyes shut out of embarrassment and frustration at himself. He visibly relaxed when he opened his eyes and saw a smile on Hermione's face.

"I love you too." she said before kissing him again. While kissing her, he leaned behind him and locked the door. "Draco," she warned against his lips.

"Oh come on, Hermione," he said not removing his lips from hers, "don't spoil the moment."

He could feel her try to resist him for a moment but when she sighed into the kiss, he knew she wasn't going to leave tonight. If he had anything to do with it, she wouldn't switch rooms at all. He could see where she was coming from with his mother staying in the house now but he did intend to tell his mother about him and Hermione so there was no point in trying to hide it.

The million dollar question was: how would she handle it?

* * *

Hermione caved when Draco asked her to stay with him in his room despite her protestations about his mother only being a few doors down. However, they managed to keep quiet and Narcissa was none the wiser; or so they thought.

Narcissa was getting better by the day. Within the first couple of days, her skin color returned to normal, her eyes no longer had a glassy, distant look to them, and her hair was starting to brighten. As for Draco, he was no longer stressing himself out to the point that he was getting sick, he was able to keep his food down, and was sleeping through the night again. It seemed that reuniting Narcissa and Draco was just what he needed to remember why he left the Dark Lord's clutches in the first place.

After Narcissa was making visible improvements with her health, Hermione made Draco return to training with her and Harry and Ron. Although none of the boys would admit it, they liked working with each other now and after figuring out a system to work with each other, they all knew that they made a good team. Draco still refused to teach Hermione the Fiendfyre charm, however, because he didn't feel confident that'd he'd be able to teach her properly and he didn't want to put her that kind of danger while teaching her.

The Order meetings continued, Andromeda visited frequently, and life continued as normal as it could during a war. One evening, as Order members were arriving for a meeting, Draco was up in Narcissa's room talking to her.

"Don't be so hard on your dad, Draco, he's just made some bad choices."

"And those choices turned him into a bad person! He's not the man you married and he's not the man I grew up to know as my father. Mum, that man is gone. And he's not coming back."

Narcissa fought the tears that threatened to escape. Draco grasped his mother's hand and shut his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry. I've just-"

"No," Narcissa said, her free hand caressing his cheek as he opened his eyes, "Don't apologize. You don't need to explain yourself. I may have seen the same things that you've seen but I have only experienced a fraction of what you have. You've seen a side of your father that, unfortunately, may have tainted your image of him forever. But he is still my husband, Draco, and I know that deep down he loves us both." Draco scoffed.

"Please understand that, in the beginning, what your father did was to protect us; but it was only when he began to spiral down a dark road with no return that he became the man he is now. But please, know that the man who I fell in love with, the man who raised you is still in there somewhere. He's just been severely mislead."

Draco sighed as he stroked Narcissa's hand with his thumb. "Mum… that misguidedness ended up getting his own son caught into a war he didn't want to fight."

She nodded sadly. "I know, but you know you don't have to fight, Draco. You could just go into hiding and be safe."

"I can't do that, Mum; all this training would be a waste if I did that. Plus, I'm in too deep now. Granger started training me because I said that I wanted to fight and I meant it. I won't run away when this is just as much my war as everyone else's. The Order… they helped me; I won't turn my back on them when they need my help."

Narcissa sighed and put her other hand on Draco's. "You're too determined for your own good, you know that? But I won't stop you. You're right; this _is_ everyone's war and, unfortunately, everyone must fight now. But I trust you and I know that you'll do the right thing."

Draco smiled at his mom and was about to respond when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," Narcissa called.

The door cracked open and Hermione peeked her head in. "Hi," she said quietly giving a small smile. Draco had to force himself to not break out into a grin as he saw his girlfriend. He hadn't had a chance to break the news to Narcissa yet and he didn't want to make her suspicious.

Narcissa smiled. "Hello, Miss Granger. Come in, please."

Hermione opened the door wider and walked into the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better, thank you. I finally feel like myself again."

"I'm glad to hear it." She looked at Draco. "The meeting's going to start soon, if you wanted to join us?"

He nodded. "I'll be down in a moment."

Hermione nodded and bit her lip as she looked back at Narcissa. "You're welcome to join us too, if you'd like, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa chuckled. "Thank you, Miss Granger, but I think I'll stay up here for the evening."

"Alright," Hermione said as she began to walk out of the room, "well, if there's anything I can do for you, feel free to ask."

"Thank you Miss Granger."

As Hermione walked out of the room, she and Draco shared one last quick glance before she closed the door. Draco didn't realize it but he stared at the door for a moment too long; something that Narcissa did not miss.

She cleared her throat which caused Draco to look at her. She gave him a knowing glance with an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on her lips.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"What?" he said tilting his head.

"Nothing, you've just… you've grown up so much in the past year."

He shrugged. "War does that to you."

She nodded. "I suppose it does. Go. They're waiting for you."

He stood up and walked towards the door. "You sure you'll be okay? I can stay."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Draco, I'm sick, not dying! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Go."

Draco smirked at his mother and left the room. He went downstairs to the dining room to join the Order where he heard a clamor of voices. As he got closer he was able to distinguish which voice was which.

"Mum, you can't be serious!" Fred said.

"I'm completely serious!" Mrs. Weasley replied. "Why shouldn't we celebrate?"

"Um, because there's a war on and it seems a bit of absurd to want to celebrate Christmas in the middle of it!" George said.

"The war being on is the exact reason why we need to celebrate, George! Life is short and there's too much darkness in this world right now. We could do with some light and happiness!"

"Molly's right." Kingsley agreed. "There haven't been too many disturbances right now and Merlin knows how much longer that will last. It's important that we enjoy it while we can."

There was a mumbling of agreement amongst everyone in the room. Draco came up behind Hermione and lightly touched the small of her back (which did not go unnoticed by the Weasley twins) to let her know that he was there.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"Mrs. Weasley wants to have a Christmas get-together with the Order while we have the time. Voldemort's been quiet for the last few days and we want to take advantage of that while we can before all hell breaks loose."

He nodded in understanding. Despite Narcissa's rescue (or disappearance as it would appear to the Dark Lord, Lucius, and the rest of the Death Eaters), attacks had been minimal and the Daily Prophet hadn't reported anything new yet. It was strange for Voldemort to be so quiet but Snape had confirmed that he was recruiting more allies in the mountain ranges in the Northwestern part of the country. Christmas was, for most people, a time of happiness and a chance to enjoy life no matter what's going on at the time so Draco could understand why Mrs. Weasley would want to have everyone together to enjoy what little good was left in the world while they had the chance.

"I think it's a wonderful idea." Andromeda interjected. "It shows the Dark Lord that he can't take all the happiness from us. Plus, we've been working incredibly hard, we all deserve a break."

There was a mumbling of agreement amongst the Order members. "Then it's decided," Molly said. The rest of the Order meeting was spent discussing plans for the Christmas celebrations with a few interjections about what was going on in the outside world. There more smiles at that one meeting then there had been in a long time.

It was the most pleasant Order meeting Draco had been to.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Yay, early update! I love how excited you guys got for Narcissa's appearance! It was awesome. Thanks for all the love you guys; it means a lot!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

A few mornings later, Hermione was the first to wake. After a quick shower, she went downstairs to make a quick cup of tea before grabbing a book and enjoying the quiet in the house. As she reached the living room, however, she discovered that she wasn't the only one with that idea.

"Oh, sorry Mrs. Malfoy, I didn't know you were in here."

Narcissa put her copy of the Daily Prophet down and gave Hermione a small smile. "No, please come in. I wouldn't mind the company."

Hermione smiled and curled up on the other end of the couch that Narcissa was sitting on.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you." Narcissa said.

Hermione nodded and smiled. Narcissa went back to reading her paper while Hermione read her book. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Narcissa broke it.

"So, you and Draco," she started.

Hermione choked on her tea and coughed. "What?"

Narcissa smirked. "I'm not blind, Miss Granger. I know there's something going on between you two."

"D-did Draco say something?"

She shook her head. "He didn't need to. I can see it in the way you two look at each other. That, and I know you two share a room."

Hermione huffed. "I told him I should have moved into a different room," she muttered.

Narcissa chuckled. "Look, Mrs. Malfoy, I can explain-" Hermione started.

"There's no need." Narcissa said. "It's okay."

"W-what? Really?"

She nodded. "I'm not going to pretend that I completely understand, but I see the way his eyes light up when he looks at you. He smiles more often, he's more determined, he's… I can't describe it but I haven't seen him like this in a long time. He seems… happy."

Hermione gave her a small smile. "Do you love him?" Narcissa asked.

Hermione's smile fell a bit as she looked at her boyfriend's mother. She licked her lips in anxiety before nodding. "Yes."

"And does Draco return these feelings?"

She nodded meekly.

Narcissa nodded in return and was silent for a moment. "Okay."

Hermione was taken aback. "Okay? Okay what?"

She gave her a small smile. "Just okay. I'm not going to tell you to stay away from him; he's an adult, he can make his own decisions. All I ask is that you watch out for him. Don't let him do anything stupid."

Hermione chuckled. "No promises."

Narcissa smirked and Hermione ran her fingers through her hair. "Well… that went easier than I expected." Narcissa laughed.

Hermione looked at her and smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, enough with the formalities. Call me Narcissa."

"Only if you call me Hermione."

The blonde smiled. "Deal."

Hermione returned the smile. Just then, Draco walked downstairs. When he caught sight of his girlfriend and mother sitting together and smiling, he immediately became suspicious and confused. "Should I be worried?" he asked.

"Good morning to you too." Narcissa joked.

"Should you be worried about what?" Hermione asked a bit too innocently.

He stuttered for a moment before throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head as he wandered off to the kitchen muttering to himself. Hermione shook her head. "I should probably go let him know that you know."

"Actually… don't." Narcissa said with a gleam in her eye. "Let him sweat it out for a bit."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "He'd figure it out. I'm a terrible liar."

Narcissa shrugged and laughed. "So am I."

Both women broke into a fit of giggles which turned into full blown laughter as Draco walked back into the room with an even more confused look on his face than before. He watched the two with apprehension as Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. "Hi." she said, breathlessly.

"Uh, hi?"

Suddenly, there was shuffling coming from upstairs and a loud thud. Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "I should go make some coffee for the boys." she said, as she was still chuckling. She walked into the kitchen, ignoring Draco's confused expression. When he looked back to his mother, she was smiling at him. He walked in and sat down where Hermione was on the couch.

"Care to explain what that was about?"

She pursed her lips. "Hermione and I had a very nice chat."

He raised his eyebrows at his mother's use of his girlfriend's first name. "Really? What about?"

Narcissa leaned back against the arm of the couch. "You, actually."

His eyes widened. "What?"

She smirked. "Oh, please, you couldn't hide it from me forever. But don't worry, I like her."

"Really?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

She nodded and smiled. Draco was speechless; he definitely didn't see that coming. "W-why? I mean you spouted as much pureblood bullshit as dad did."

She frowned at her son. "Watch your language. As for what we believed, you and I both know that they're wrong. Muggleborns are no different than us; I learned that a while ago. Haven't you wondered why Andromeda was here with me the night I was rescued? Or why she's been checking up on me and why we're getting along?"

He nodded. "It did cross my mind, yes."

"A month or so after you disappeared, I sent a letter to Andy apologizing and begging for help. I was worried sick over you and your father; my only companion was Severus and you know how much of a comfort he is." Draco snorted. "She was surprisingly very forgiving and willing to help me… cope with your disappearance, if you will. We kept in contact through enchanted letters so that no one could read them except her and me. After your… _death,_" she choked on the word, "I was inconsolable. No one could calm me down, not even your father. No one except her. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to convince me that everything was going to be okay. Little did I know, then, how right she was." She ran her fingers through Draco's hair which caused him to smile. They were silent as Harry and Ron came downstairs and walked into the kitchen, paying no mind to the two Slytherins in the living room.

Narcissa sighed. "Reconnecting with Andy has reopened my world to so many different things and ideas but none as different as seeing what she always saw: that whether we're muggleborn, pureblood, half-blood, it doesn't matter. It never did. Your lineage doesn't define who you are as a person or a wizard. And seeing you see that and defy tradition is… wonderful because that means that maybe I didn't royally screw up as a mum after all."

"You could never screw up, mum. You were mislead, like I was, and that led to making a few mistakes. But that's how we learn right?"

She smiled at her son, thinking that's what she had just said about Lucius a couple days ago. She kept that thought silent though and just sighed. "When did you get so wise?"

He shrugged. "Around the same time that the world started to fall apart."

Narcissa's eyes softened as she gave him a sad smile. Just then, an array of voices came out of the dining room as Harry and Ron followed Hermione into the piano room. "Oi! Malfoy, you coming?" he heard Ron yell.

Draco sighed and patted his mom's hand before getting up and going to the piano room which was still in the process of being transformed. Little did he know that his mother had followed him.

"Woah." Narcissa said.

"My words exactly." Draco told her.

Hermione smiled at her. "You get used to it after a while. Have you come to watch?"

Narcissa sobered and smiled at the brunette. "Um well, yes, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all." She conjured a chair in the corner of the room. "Help yourself; maybe you can give us some advice."

Harry and Ron's eyebrows raised while Draco shook his head. "Bad idea, Granger, she gives terrible advice- ow!" he said as he put his hand to the back of his head where his mother had smacked him.

"I do not give terrible advice." she said, challenging her son.

"Mum, the last time you gave me advice, I ended up swimming with the Giant Squid!"

"That was your own fault. I said go look _by_ the Black Lake, not _in_ it."

Draco was about to retort before Ron interrupted. "You did what?"

He huffed. "Back in Third Year, I was looking up herbs for Herbology by the Black Lake. In the process, I tripped on a rock and ended up falling in the water and came face to face with the Giant Squid."

Ron coughed back his laugh while Harry smirked and Hermione just rolled her eyes. Draco glared at his mother who merely smirked as she sat in the chair Hermione had conjured for her. Hermione shook her head before she ushered Draco closer to the boys.

"Today, we're working on two different lessons: teamwork and individual defense," she started. "Or in other words: three against one."

All three boys eyes widened. "What?" Harry asked.

"There's going to be times where we may be on our own while fighting more than one person and whenever we've been working in teams, we've been working in pairs. It's better that we learn to work together in more than that because there may also be times where it's more than two of us fighting someone."

Draco's brows furrowed at his girlfriend but shrugged in agreement. Harry and Ron mumbled agreements as well. "Ron, you're up first." Hermione said.

The redhead gulped as he switched places with Hermione. Draco glanced quickly at his mother, who had set up a shield charm around her to protect her from any stray spells, before looking back at Ron and gripping his wand tight. "Go!" Hermione yelled.

Immediately a flash of red came towards Draco but he reacted quickly and put up a shield charm while Hermione and Harry sent some spells flying towards Ron. It continued like that for the rest of the day. It took Ron a couple of tries before he got the hang of defending himself but was able to stun both Harry and Hermione before Draco disarmed him. After Ron was Harry. He seemed to be ready as soon as he took his place; immediately he sent a disarming charm towards Hermione but she ducked out of the way causing the spell to bounce off the wall and hit Narcissa's shield charm but the Slytherin didn't flinch as she was too fascinated by the training session.

Initially, it was thought that Hermione would be Harry's match and keep him on his toes when it came to fighting but to everyone's surprise, Draco matched him much better. They were able to continuously throw spells and hexes at one another while Harry protected himself from the other spells coming his way from Hermione and Ron. Finally, Hermione called it even and switched Draco and Harry. Despite that they were dating now, Hermione didn't let up on Draco during training; if anything, she seemed to throw hard spells at him on purpose just to throw him off. Draco used to think that if he ever got into a fight with Harry and Ron he could probably hold his own but with Hermione on their side, it became more difficult to do so. But he fought back twice as hard anyway. It was very similar to when Harry was put on the spot. It was only when Harry got stunned that Hermione ended that round.

Last up, was the Gryffindor Princess herself. Within the first few minutes, she was out of breath from fighting off the multiple hexes that were getting thrown at her. Her round didn't last long though as she managed to deflect a stunning spell that Ron sent her and directed it back towards him causing him to fall over. She then stunned Harry before he had a chance to disarm her then turned to Draco and froze. Both were pointing their wands at one another but neither moved; the only sound in the room was their breathing. They stared at each other waiting for the other to make a move but nothing happened. Finally, Draco lowered his wand and stepped back causing Hermione to do the same. She slowly turned around to walk a few feet away.

Then, at the same time both threw spells at each other.

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

There was a loud clap as the spells collided with one another and the impact was powerful enough that both Hermione and Draco were knocked to the floor. Both groaned as they sat up. Ron lent his hand out to Hermione to help her up as Harry offered his hand to Draco. The Slytherin was surprised by the offer and eyed the Gryffindor suspiciously before taking his hand to help him up. As he stood up, he nodded to Harry in thanks before dusting off his trousers. When he looked up, his eyes met Hermione's and she gave him a small nod of approval before they heard a series of applause coming from the corner of the room. Taking down her shield charm, Narcissa stood up and walked towards them.

"Very nice. I have to admit, I was concerned when Draco told me about this training you all were doing but I'm impressed; you're all much more advanced than I thought you were."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you. Do you have any advice on anything we could work on more?"

Narcissa nodded. "For the most part, it seems that you have a good grasp of defensive and protective spells, although I think you should work on some non-verbal spells as well. The biggest thing that stuck out to me, though, is all four of you seem to struggling to really focus; you, especially, Ron." The redhead's eyes widened as Narcissa addressed him directly. She continued. "I understand that you're trying to pay attention to everything that's going on around you, which is good; you want to be aware of everything and everyone. But doing so, can also distract you and cause problems. The best way to focus is to hone in on your senses and reflexes. Focus on one thing: your target, for example, then let your senses take over. Let your ears hear the other people around you, let your body feel where you are or what you're doing (your feet on the floor or your hand on your wand), if you can, let your eyes see what's going on but if you can't, keep your eyes on your target at all times. Don't let this distract you, though; instead, let it strengthen you and teach you to stay focused while also being aware of your surroundings." She paused for a moment. "Did any of that make sense?"

Hermione nodded while the boys looked amongst themselves uncomfortably. Narcissa chuckled. "Let me show you an example. Hermione, could you come here please?"

Harry and Ron both looked at Draco in confusion over his mother's use of Hermione's first name but he merely shrugged. Ignoring the boys' befuddled expressions, Hermione took a deep breath before walking into the middle of the room with Narcissa. "Close your eyes," the blonde commanded.

Hermione complied. "Good," Narcissa continued, "Right now, I just want you to focus on your breathing. Don't think about anything else: just breathe. Now, when you're ready, let your senses take over. Hear the rain outside and the sound of your breathing, feel the floor beneath your feet and your wand in your hand. Allow yourself to become aware of all these things while continuing to focus on your breathing. You may begin to feel your instincts trying to kick in; don't fight them, listen to them. And when you're ready, open your eyes."

Hermione took another breath before opening her eyes. When she did, she found Draco standing in front of her instead of Narcissa. She looked to her left where she found Narcissa standing with Harry and Ron. "Try and duel," she said.

Hermione looked back at her boyfriend who was gripping his wand tight now. She smirked at him before throwing a bat-bogey hex towards him. He managed to dodge it and threw a tickling spell towards her but she threw up a shield charm before it could hit her. Spells began to fly back and forth between the two like a firework show as they tried whatever they could to defeat the other. Draco, unfortunately, was getting tired a lot quicker than Hermione was which came to her advantage as she was finally able to disarm him, therefore ending their duel.

Both were out of breath when they were done but Hermione was smiling victoriously. She had been in a zone while duelling with Draco. She couldn't describe what she was feeling but all she knew was that she had never felt more in control during a duel and she loved it.

"How do you feel?" the blonde asked.

She laughed. "Great! I've never felt more in control. That was amazing!"

Narcissa chuckled. "_That_ is what I mean by needing to be focused while fighting. Nothing distracts you, you're focused on your target, but you're also aware of your surroundings which is important in case someone comes to attack you from behind, you need to be prepared."

Draco looked at his girlfriend. Her hair was wild, her cheeks were rosy, and there were beads of sweat falling down her forehead but her eyes were filled with fire and determination. While duelling, he hadn't ever thought he'd seen her look so intimidating and he was right. She wasn't just the brightest witch of their age, she was also an incredible fighter who knew how to get the job done. He'd never been more relieved that she was on the Light side.

Narcissa taught the same trick to the boys and by the end of the session, all four were sweating and out of breath but they felt fantastic. Ron made significant progress during the lesson and he felt exhilarated as did Harry and Draco. Narcissa and Hermione smiled at one another as the boys separated to clean up after an exhausting day of training. They would continue to practice that new method throughout the rest of their training sessions and Narcissa would occasionally watch and give advice as well. All four were improving every day with their training and they all felt much more in control of the situation when practicing.

They could only hope that it would be enough when the time finally came to put their skills to good use.


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Fluff alert! This chapter is just fluff and adorableness and more fluff! And some sassy Ginny which is always good. I really like this chapter so I hope you guys like it too!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

A week before Christmas, Hermione awoke to find the space in the bed next to her was empty. She frowned at it in confusion before looking towards the door as it opened. Draco walked in quietly but when he saw that she was awake, he closed the door as he normally would. "Morning," he smiled.

"Morning. Where were you?"

"Helping set up the Christmas tree downstairs," he said as he sat down on the bed next to her. "They needed an extra set of hands so I volunteered to help."

"They?"

"Potter, Weasley, and Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley's gone, said he had some things to finish up at the Ministry before taking time off for the holiday. Potter and Weasley are downstairs waiting for you."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why me?"

He shrugged. "They didn't want to decorate the tree without you."

She nodded in understanding and looked over at the clock. "Sweet Merlin! It's after nine! Why did you let me sleep in so late?" she said as she jumped out of bed.

Draco chuckled. "Because you needed the rest. And Potter cancelled training for the time being too."

She stopped and looked at him. "He cancelled it?"

He nodded. "He said we should take a break and enjoy the holiday. Frankly, I agree, I'm exhausted."

Hermione bit her lip as she thought about that. She nodded as she saw Harry's point and sighed. "All right, fine. But after the New Year, we're jumping right back into training."

Draco smirked. "Yes ma'am."

She took a quick shower then went downstairs to join the boys to decorate the tree. Ron never understood the point of decorating the tree the muggle way but Hermione and Harry insisted. It had been a tradition in Hermione's household that they decorate everything for Christmas the muggle way and Harry had never had the opportunity to decorate the tree with the Dursleys so both jumped at the opportunity to decorate it the way that they were raised.

Although the tree would be decorated the muggle way, the rest of the house would be decorated with magic since it was quicker. Narcissa and Ron got put in charge of putting up tinsel and candles while Draco would go back and forth between helping out where he could and playing the piano. As he finished helping his mom set up a mistletoe (which he raised an eyebrow at but his mother merely shrugged), they heard Ron exclaim loudly in the next room. Both followed the sound into the living room where Harry and Hermione stood proudly, admiring their handy work with the Christmas tree.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked.

It was covered, head to toe, in silver and gold. There was a gold ribbon and a silver garland wrapped around the tree and there were candles all along the tree that made the ornaments sparkle. On top, was a bright gold star that just made the tree seem complete. Draco was surprised; despite the fact that the tree was simply decorated, it was the most beautiful Christmas tree he'd ever seen.

"It's beautiful," he heard his mother say. Hermione beamed which caused him to smile.

"You did that _all _without magic?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "Well, kind of. There's a fire proof charm on the tree so the candles don't set it on fire but otherwise, yeah. We did it completely the muggle way."

Draco nodded. "It looks good," he simply said. Narcissa rolled her eyes as Harry's brows furrowed but Hermione just smiled. The only people he opened up to was her and his mom so she understood that he wasn't about to give her tons of praise in front of Harry and Ron. He didn't feel comfortable doing that. Hermione didn't mind, though, because she knew that he meant it looked amazing and that she and Harry did a good job. Her suspicions were confirmed when he winked at her. She chuckled and rolled her eyes as she began to pick pine needles out of her hair from when she got too close to the tree. Narcissa laughed at the brunette and helped her as Harry and Ron sat down to play a game of Wizard's Chess while Draco sat down in a chair and read quietly to himself.

It was only as a light snow began to fall outside, however, that it truly began to feel like Christmas.

* * *

Christmas Eve. A majority of the Order was at Grimmauld Place, including all the Weasleys (excluding Charlie and Percy). Andromeda, her husband Ted, Tonks, Remus and Kingsley were there as well. Although Draco had grown accustomed to the mass of people and noise that the Order created, Narcissa had not and was initially uncomfortable with the whole situation. Andromeda managed to bring her out of her shell, however, when she instigated a conversation between her sister and Molly Weasley. Surprisingly, the two hit it off right away.

As for Draco, he may have become part of the Order but was still uncomfortable with socializing with everyone there. It was Bill, however, who managed to get Draco to open up a bit and ended up in a full blown conversation with the eldest Weasley and Fleur.

Hermione smiled as she saw Draco interacting with people he usually wouldn't talk to. It made her happy to know that he was allowing himself to become a part of something and that the others were starting to open up to him as well. She was standing next to Harry who was looking longingly at Ginny who was laughing at something Fred had said. Her smile fell as she saw the sadness in her friend's eyes. Harry and Ginny had barely talked since before she left for Hogwarts and she knew that it killed him to be apart from her when, the truth was, he needed her now more than ever.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" she suggested.

Harry snapped out of his daze and looked at Hermione sadly. "I want to but there's nothing I can say that would improve the situation at hand. It's not safe for us to be together, Hermione and I don't want to put her in danger."

She chuckled. "And you think it's safe for me and Draco to be together? Harry, everybody is at risk right now; that's the price of war. But we shouldn't let it take away our happiness when we have so little left at the moment. Merlin knows what will happen tomorrow so it's best to just enjoy the little things in life while we can. That includes romance and love." She smiled as she noticed Harry and Ginny's eyes meeting. She gave him a slight nudge on his back. "Go talk to her. Tell her how you feel."

Harry nodded and gulped but before he could walk over to her, he was intercepted by pink hair and a baby belly. "Harry, Hermione!" Tonks said, "Remus and I were wondering if we could talk to you for a moment?"

The two friends looked at each other before looking back to Tonks and Remus and nodding. The couple led the two out of the living room and into the piano room. Harry and Hermione sat on the piano bench while Tonks and Remus sat on the couch. The friends waited for the couple to begin.

Tonks cleared her throat. "Well, as you know, the baby won't be here for a few more months but we wanted to do this now before we got distracted by everything else. You both have been so wonderful to us and you're both just such great people that we couldn't imagine asking anyone else this. Will you two be the godparents to the baby?"

Harry and Hermione were speechless. Neither had seen that coming but both were very flattered. Hermione had tears forming in her eyes. "Yes," she choked, "I'd be honored."

"Absolutely," Harry said.

Remus and Tonks grinned as they stood up to hug the two. Hermione sniffed and laughed as Tonks told her that she expects the baby to have the Oxford Dictionary memorized by the time he was two. When they left the piano room, all four were grinning but Harry's smile fell slightly as Ginny walked towards him. Hermione gave Harry an encouraging smile before patting his shoulder and letting them have a moment alone.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey."

"Look, Gin-"

"Harry, I know that you broke up with me to protect me and whatnot but I've been thinking. And I've come to the conclusion that I don't care. Chances are, we'll all end up on the battlefield and when it comes to that, I will be fighting by your side until the very end. And nothing you do or say is going to change my mind about it. So you get the notion that staying away from me will keep me safe because you and I both know that's a load of bollocks. Now, are we in this together or not?"

Harry couldn't help but smile at the redhead. "You always manage to find a way to take the words right out of my mouth. Of course we're in this together."

She smirked. "Good." Then she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Hermione had watched the scene in front of her unfold and couldn't help but clap along with everyone else who noticed the happy couple. Fred and George even made a couple of wolf whistles while Ron just rolled his eyes. Hermione smiled at two of her best friends as Harry kissed her forehead while Ginny was beaming with happiness. While watching them, she felt a pair of eyes on her. She turned to look and found Draco standing next to Tonks with a small smile on his lips. Hermione returned the gesture before walking into the kitchen to heat up some water in the kettle. As she came back out, she ran into Draco in the hallway.

"Hey." she smiled.

"Hey," he smiled back.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, they're not that bad."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's all you're getting." he joked.

She chuckled and shrugged. "I'll take what I can get." He smirked.

"Uh, Hermione?" a new voice said. Both looked to find Ginny looking at them apprehensively while Fred and George snickered behind her. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might want to look up."

Hermione and Draco complied. "Oh, crap." she said. Right above their heads was the mistletoe that Draco and Narcissa had hung up. Draco look towards his mother who was smirking at him now while Hermione looked around her. She reached her hand out to find a force field of sorts around them. She glared at the twins.

"Please tell me you two didn't enchant the mistletoe with a kissing charm…" she began.

The twins tried to hide their laughter. "Okay, we won't tell you." George said.

"George…" Hermione said darkly.

"Okay, so we might have put a little charm on it just for fun because we wanted to see what we could catch underneath it. And frankly, this is better than we could of imagined!" he and Fred started to laugh while Hermione huffed in frustration.

She looked at Draco who seemed to be struggling not to laugh as well. "Oh, you think this is funny too?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I have to admit, that's pretty good."

"Don't encourage them!" she said.

He laughed. "I'm not encouraging, I just think it's funny!"

"That's encouraging them." Hermione and Ginny said at the same time.

He shrugged. "I still think it's funny."

Hermione huffed and looked towards the kitchen as she heard the kettle go off. She looked back to the twins. "You gonna let us out of here or what?"

Fred smirked. "You and I both know that there's only one way out of there."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously?"

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. Taking a deep breath she turned to face Draco who seemed to be having a silent conversation with Narcissa. When he looked down at her, he gave her a small smile. She sighed in exasperation. "We could just wait for the spell to wear off, you know." he suggested quietly.

She shook her head. "Knowing Fred and George, the spell will last until it's done." she said, matching his tone.

He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "You know what we have to do then."

"You and I both know that there's no going back after that. They'll know."

He nodded. "I'm okay with that." Hermione furrowed her brows. "I'm serious." he said, "If I could, I'd yell from the top of a mountain how I feel about you but you know I'm never that open. I do have a reputation to keep after all."

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled at the blonde. "Come here, you." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. He smiled and kissed her back as he wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled his free hand in her hair. Their kiss was short lived however as they heard a loud whoop coming from the living room. They pulled apart to find the Weasley twins looking very triumphant while everyone else looked either surprised or confused. Hermione blushed and buried her face into Draco's shirt as he chuckled and wrapped both arms around her while Narcissa, Harry, Ron, and Tonks were behind everyone laughing.

"I told you!" Fred said. "Pay up!"

"Wait, what?" Hermione said, looking at the twins.

Ginny groaned and pulled out four Galleons from her pocket. "Fred and George had their suspicions about you two so they took two different sides and placed a bet. When everyone else got wind of it, they joined in."

"Wait, suspicions? Did you say anything?" she asked Harry.

His eyes went wide as he was put on the spot. "No, but I wish I had!" he laughed.

"You knew?" George asked. "So _that's _why you didn't want to bet!"

Hermione rolled her eyes as she saw everyone else pay Fred including Remus, Bill, Fleur, even Kingsley, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley _and_ Andromeda and Ted! What in Merlin's name… "Wait, who bet on which side?" she asked.

"Fred bet that you _were_ together and I bet that you weren't." George said.

"So of course, _I _won!" Fred replied happily.

"Hey, don't forget, you owe me half of that!" Tonks interjected.

"You're only getting half if you name your kid after me!"

"No way, she's naming him after me!" George said.

"She might as well name her kid Pinhead if she names him after either of you." Ginny added.

Draco laughed. "So let me get this straight: you two made a bet about us, and you won," he pointed at Fred, "and yet, somehow _you,_" he pointed to Tonks, "get a share in the profits?"

"Of course!" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "How do you think they got the idea in the first place?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation and threw her hands into the air. "That's it. I give up! This evening has gotten _way _too weird for my liking!"

Ginny laughed. "Now you know how we feel."

Hermione shook her head as she walked back into the kitchen (the spell on the mistletoe now gone), muttering to herself. Draco smirked and followed her. She was leaning against the counter, running her fingers through her hair. He stood in front of her and entwined his fingers with hers as he rested his forehead against hers. She sighed.

"Did that really just happen?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, it did."

"I think we kind of shocked them."

"I don't know;" he said looking to the door frame before looking back at her, "if they were taking bets, then it's obvious they knew something. I think those who bet against it were just in denial."

"That sounds about right." said a new voice.

Both looked to the doorframe to find Narcissa smiling at them. "Although both Ted and Arthur are questioning whether or not they've had too much firewhisky to drink tonight."

The couple laughed. "Well," Draco started, "the big secret's out. Now what?"

Hermione shrugged. "I have no idea."

Narcissa chuckled. "Now, you enjoy your Christmas. Focus on everything else later."

Draco nodded. "I can do that."

Hermione hesitated. "I'm not very good at just dropping stuff like that."

"No kidding." Draco muttered. He gave her an innocent smile when she glared at him. "Kidding."

"I'm serious," Narcissa said, "I know it's easier said than done but you need to relax, Hermione. Stressing about all this won't solve anything. So, take a deep breath, and enjoy the calm before the storm."

"Hermione!" they heard Ginny yell.

"Or not…" Narcissa trailed off.

Hermione laughed. "Yes?"

"Come here!"

She rolled her eyes and patted Draco's shoulder before walking to her best friend in the next room. As she reached the hallway she was accosted by something covering her eyes. "Agh!" she exclaimed. She lifted up the cover to realize that Ginny had placed a hat on her head. "Ginny, what the-"

"Put this on!" The redhead said excitedly as she handed Hermione her coat and gloves.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked as she took it.

"Because we're going to have a snowball fight." Ginny was practically jumping up and down from excitement. Hermione laughed at her best friend and put on her coat and gloves. Ginny linked her arm with hers as they went to the backyard as the Weasley brothers and Harry followed shortly after; Fleur was wrapped up in a conversation with Ted and Arthur so she backed out of the snowball fight and Tonks had been put on the sidelines by order of her mother due to her current pregnant state which did not make the Hufflepuff happy.

It had been snowing throughout the day so there was a nice layer of snow on the ground that would soften the landing if and when someone fell. As everyone came outside, they realized that there were an odd amount of people in the group which wouldn't work out if they split into teams. There was a quiet discussion amongst everyone before Ron yelled "Oi, Malfoy! Come here!"

Draco came to the door frame but stayed inside the house. "You called, Weasley?"

The twins nodded. "Grab your coat! You're joining us!"

Draco chuckled. "Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll just watch."

"What's the matter, Ferret face?" Harry challenged. "You scared?"

Draco's eyes narrowed as a smirk grew on his lips. "Not at all, Penguin boy, I just don't want to embarrass you in front of everyone as I kick your ass in a snowball fight."

Hermione covered her face with her hand. "Penguin boy?" she heard one of the twins ask but was overshadowed by Ginny's laughter. "If you think you're so tough, Ferret, then come on out here and I'll show you how it's done _Weasley _style!" Ginny challenged.

Draco chuckled. "You're on, Weaslette!" Then he turned back into the house to get his coat. Ginny beamed as her brothers and Harry looked at her impressed. Hermione just shook her head. Draco came back out with his jacket and gloves on and joined the group. When he made eye contact with Hermione, he rolled his eyes and shook his head causing her to smile at him and chuckle at the night's turn of events.

"Good," Ginny started, "now that we have an even number, let's break up into teams. Dibs on Hermione!"

"What?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Sorry bro, but us girls gotta stick together." the redhead said, pulling Hermione closer to her causing the brunette to laugh.

Ron grumbled under his breath. "Fine. Then we get Bill."

"Fine. Fred, George, you're with us. Which leaves you with Malfoy and Harry. Have fun!" Ginny teased as she led her team to the other side of the yard.

Draco, Ron, and Harry all looked at each other briefly before nodding in agreement. Months of training with one another has taught them how to work with each other and even, dare they say it, trust one another (although they'd never say it out loud) so being on the same team for a snowball fight was no different. If anything, with how they'd been working together in training, the other team should have been worried. But then again, the other team had Hermione and three of the most daredevil Weasleys. At this point, the snowball fight was fair game.

Each team had a few minutes to build up some sort of protection with the snow and then… the snowballs began to fly. Immediately laughter filled the air as snow became the only thing that anyone could see. It turned out to be a fairly even match as neither team let up. It wasn't until the twins accidentally knocked each other down by hitting each other in the face that the fight ended with Ron's team winning. The boys cheered as Hermione and Ginny laid down in the snow exhausted while Fred and George started to wrestle with one another. Bill laughed as he broke the two up while Draco and Harry went to help their respective girlfriends up off the ground.

Hermione and Ginny took the boys' hands as the former used it to stand up then shook the snow out of her hair while the latter pulled her boyfriend down into the snow causing him to faceplant. She laughed as Harry rolled over onto his back and sat up as dusted the snow off his glasses. After Bill got the twins to break up their wrestling match, the group went back inside to warm up which became easier said than done as the twins began to try and put their cold hands on everyone's faces.

Eventually, everyone (excluding the adults) ended up in the living room sharing laughs and stories. Ron was playing Wizard's Chess with Fleur while Bill watched and gave his wife pointers much to the dismay of his youngest brother. Fred and George were telling a story of how an employee put a duplicating charm on the Pygmy Puffs and within minutes the store was filled with so many of them that no one could move or they'd step on one. Harry was sitting on the couch with Ginny between his legs as he played with her hair while Hermione was curled up on the other side of the couch with Draco as they listened to the story.

Other than their kiss under the mistletoe earlier in the evening, neither had made much of an effort to show affection towards one another. However, it wasn't surprising, since both were very private people, that they weren't much for PDA. The only sign that they were even acknowledging each other was that their legs were touching but only slightly. As the night continued, however, Hermione began to grow more tired and instinctively laid against Draco. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close as he ran his hand up and down her arm. He didn't think anything of it until he remembered they were in public and Ginny was watching them.

"What?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "I approve," she finally said.

"You what?" Draco and Hermione said at the same time.

She shrugged. "I approve. Sure, you're a pain in the ass sometimes but you've got a good sense of humor and one hell of a throw," referring to his catapult of an arm during the snowball fight. "If you were in Gryffindor, I'd have suggested you be a chaser or even a beater."

"And put us out of the job?! Thanks, _sis_!" George feigned hurt.

"I mean like last year. After you two and Angelina left, we were pretty screwed at tryouts; we could've used someone like Malfoy on the team."

Draco snickered as the twins looked at her in disbelief while Ron chuckled and shook his head and Harry smirked. "Speaking of Quidditch," the latter said, "how are you guys doing this year?"

"We're not." Ginny said.

"What do you mean you're not?"

The redhead shook her head. "There hasn't been any Quidditch this year. Not since the new Headmaster came in."

"What new Headmaster?" Hermione asked.

"Snape."

"WHAT?!" Everyone asked in disbelief.

"Since when?!" Fred asked.

Ginny thought about it for a moment. "Since November. He came out of nowhere with a couple of Death Eaters in tow: the Carrows. They teach DADA now and to be honest, they suck. They don't teach us anything useful. As for McGonagall, she went back to Transfiguration and told everyone not to ask questions. That was the end of that conversation."

Everyone muttered to themselves in frustration but Hermione and Draco looked at each other.

"You think that's his alibi?" she asked him quietly.

He shrugged. "I guess so," he replied in the same tone. "But there's only one reason why McGonagall would give that position to him…"

"You think she knows?"

"It's the only explanation. You know the woman; she wouldn't just back down for anybody-"

"Except Dumbledore. And if Dumbledore told her to trust him-"

"Then she'd let him in. And together they'd keep the school safe. That's brilliant."

"Well, I don't know how safe it is if there's Death Eaters teaching DADA but yes, that is very clever."

Draco nodded. Everyone tried to get more information out of Ginny about what was going on at school but she wouldn't say anymore and simply asked to move onto a different subject which they did begrudgingly. Eventually, the activity in the house began to die down. It wasn't until everyone realized that it was after two in the morning that Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone who was left out of the house and back home to get some sleep.

Hermione had fallen asleep on Draco's shoulder so he carried her upstairs to put her to bed. As he finished getting ready for bed, he left the room to speak with his mother briefly but was intercepted by Ron. Draco tensed at first but relaxed as he saw Ron put his hand out. He shook it cautiously.

"Well, if my sister likes you, then it seems that I have no choice but to trust you now. Truce?" Ron asked.

Draco was taken aback but didn't let it show. He nodded. "Truce."

They released hands. "We're not friends though." Ron said.

Draco smirked. "Not in a million years, Weasley."

Ron returned the gesture. "Good. Just… just take care of her, will you? She could use someone to bring down that ego of hers at times."

Draco chuckled. "I'll do my best."

Ron shrugged. "G'night Ferret."

"Night, Weasel." Draco said chuckling to himself. He shared a few quick words with his mother before leaving her to rest for the night and returning to Hermione who was fast asleep. He kissed her nose as he snuggled closer to her in the bed. "Merry Christmas, my love." he whispered to her before falling into a deep sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: So, food poisoning is not fun. Just saying. Anyway, I seem to be better now, which is a relief! Also, I will be out of town this weekend so there is a small chance that I won't be able to update on Sunday but I will be taking my laptop with me so, if I have the time and wifi, I'll update. Otherwise, you guys will just get a late update next week. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and stay safe out there guys! **_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 16:**

The next morning, Draco woke to a bright light peering into the bedroom. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light change while looking for the source of the brightness. When his eyes finally focused, he saw that the curtains to the window were opened slightly which was allowing the light into the room. He groaned as he got up to close the curtains but when he looked out the window, his breath was taken away from him.

It had snowed all throughout the night and there was more snow on the ground than the night before. The powder on the ground was perfectly untouched and looked as if it were made of clouds. A light snow was still falling as the sky was a quiet sort of gray. He could have stared at the scene in front of him for hours.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he heard a voice say as two small arms snaked around his midsection.

He threw open the curtains so that the light could fill the room more before turning around and wrapping his arms around Hermione. "Breathtaking. It looks like time stood still."

She nuzzled her face into his chest. "I wish it had."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brows furrowing.

"I mean, I wish time _would_ stand still. We could just forget about the war and Voldemort and the damn prophecy and just stay here forever. No trials, no tribulations, just us." She looked up at him.

He gave her a small smile and rested his forehead against hers. "Me too. If I could, I'd whisk you away from here as soon as possible. Take us to Paris or Rome or some place far away and never look back." He sighed and looked into her sad and frightened eyes. "But that will have to wait. I won't leave you. We're in this together now and I swear, Hermione, through hell or highwater, we _will_ make it out alive. And then we'll go somewhere so far, no one could find us no matter how hard they tried. And if we wanted, we'd stay there forever."

Hermione smiled at him, unaware of the quiet tears falling down her face. Draco wiped them away and gave her a soft kiss which she returned with equal tenderness. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too." he replied.

They stood, embracing one another for a while longer before Hermione gave Draco a small smile and ran her fingers through her hair. "Merry Christmas, by the way."

Draco blinked. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I forgot it was Christmas!" he chuckled. "Merry Christmas to you too." he smiled at her before kissing her. She smiled into the kiss before pulling back and sitting Draco down on the bed while she grabbed his presents.

"Granger," he started, awkwardly very aware of how this situation looked.

"Don't worry about not being able to get me anything," she said as she laid a couple of packages on the bed, "I may or may not have bought myself a present and just said it was from you."

Draco raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Okay, and what exactly did I get you?"

She bit her lip. "A book."

He smiled at the brunette and opened his arms as she crawled onto the bed. She snuggled into his embrace. "What kind of book?" he asked.

"_And Then There Were None_ by a muggle author named Agatha Christie. It's a murder mystery novel."

"Hm. Murder _and_ mystery. Sounds exciting."

She giggled. "That's what I thought."

"Well…" he started, "before I open these, I have a confession to make."

Hermione sat up and looked at her boyfriend expectantly.

"I lied about something." he confessed.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What about?"

"The other morning when I said I was helping set up the Christmas tree; well, it wasn't entirely a lie because I _was_ helping with that but that wasn't all I was doing. Earlier that morning, Potter and I went to Diagon Alley to go Christmas shopping."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "What? But, _how_? You're supposed to be dead and Harry's supposed to be in hiding!"

He chuckled and nodded. "I know which made it all the easier to go there. Potter created a disguise for me by changing my eye color and making my hair longer and darker then did the same for himself, and we were golden. We split up for about an hour while we did our respective shopping and not a single person recognized me. It was very comforting to be back in public again, even if I wasn't myself." He seemed nostalgic for a moment but then shook his head and got back to his story. "Anyway, when we got back, Potter changed us back to normal and the Weasleys showed up with the tree shortly after.

"So, long story short, I _did_ manage to get a little something for you," he said as he opened the bedside table drawer and pulled out a small box. "And I can assure you, it's not a book."

Hermione chuckled as she took the box into her hands. She untied the small bow that was on top and opened the box carefully. She gasped when she saw what was inside.

It was a small gold locket in the shape of an oval with flowers engraved on it. Her eyes teared up as she saw what was written in the inside:

_For the light in my darkness. DM._

She looked up at him, teary eyed, and smiled. "Draco, this is- this is beautiful. I love it."

He smiled, causing his eyes to light up. He leaned forward to help her put it on but was soon distracted by the kiss Hermione was giving him. When they pulled out for air, they kept their foreheads together. "Thank you," she whispered to him.

He simply smiled. "Anything for you." he replied.

She pulled back as her eyes grew curious. "Were you able to get your mum anything?"

He nodded. "I bought her a pocket watch. It's gold with a green facing and has a flower design on it in diamonds. Nothing too fancy."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "What?" Draco asked.

"If that's nothing too fancy for you, I'd hate to see your definition of extravagant."

He shrugged. "What can I say? We Malfoys enjoy quality at all times."

She rolled her eyes and placed one of Draco's gifts in his lap. "Your turn."

He chuckled at her and carefully unwrapped the paper. The first gift was a set of sheet music with different songs for him to play on the piano. The second gift was a beautiful silver wrist watch with black facing and silver roman numerals for the numbers. On the back there was an engraving: _For my silver fox. With all my love. Hermione._

He smiled at the gifts. "These are amazing. And so much more than I expected. Thank you."

Hermione smiled and caressed his face as she pulled him in for a kiss. He kissed her on the forehead as she opened the rest of her presents from the Weasleys and Harry. Ginny got her a book on famous muggle-born wizards who became very successful in the muggle world, Ron got her a container of Bertie Bott's while Harry got her a coffee mug that changed colors when the liquid was hot or cold. Fred and George gave her a package that said _Caution: Don't Open Inside! _She and Draco looked at each other apprehensively and pushed it far away. Last, was the traditional Weasley sweater. Hermione laughed as she opened the wrapping and found _two _sweaters this time.

"Oh, Merlin, no." Draco said as Hermione held up his sweater. It was blue with a large yellow D on it while Hermione's was red with a large yellow H on it. She pulled hers on immediately while Draco stared at his horrified.

"Draco, it's a sweater, not a dragon."

"It might as well be considering it's a Weasley sweater." he said.

"What's wrong with a Weasley sweater?" she said, holding back her laughter.

He looked at her incredulously. "Seriously? It's a _Weasley _sweater! What's _not_ wrong with this?"

Instead of getting angry with him, Hermione just rolled her eyes and smiled. "Draco, you should be flattered that Mrs. Weasley made you a sweater. She doesn't do that for just anyone, you know. It means that she likes you."

"Well, I'm starting to wonder if it was better when they didn't like me." he muttered.

"Just try the sweater on. It may change your opinion." she encouraged.

He muttered to himself as he picked up the sweater and twisted it around in his hands. He groaned and relented by throwing the sweater over his head and putting it on. It was itchy at first but as he relaxed into the material he found it to be very warm and comfortable. Sure, it wasn't the highest quality of clothing but the fact that Mrs. Weasley had hand-made it gave it a sentimental factor that none of his other clothes had. He wasn't aware there was a small smile on his face until he heard Hermione chuckle.

"I told you it would change your opinion." she said.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not the highest quality but it's not bad."

She shook her head. "You know that not everything is matter of high quality, Draco. Sometimes it's about what goes into something instead of what the result is."

His eyes softened. "You always find a way to humble me. I do like it, okay?"

She bit her lip and smiled. "I knew you would. Mrs. Weasley's going to be so happy when she sees you in it."

His eyes widened. "What?! No way am I wearing this in front of anyone else!"

"Why not?"

"It's… weird. And it doesn't feel right to wear one. I'm not really the Weasley's favorite person."

Hermione gave him a small smile and took his hands in hers. "Draco, you realize that by inviting you to join us for the snowball fight last night, they've grown to like you. I think they've liked you for a while now, since you started coming to Order meetings. And now that everyone knows about you and me, well, it just gives them a reason to get to know you better and like you even more."

He blew a piece of hair out of his face. "So I take it you're going to make me wear this so Mrs. Weasley can see it?"

Hermione smirked and nodded. "Fine," he said, exasperated. "I'll wear the bloody sweater."

She smiled and gave him a quick peck before grabbing some clothing and going to take a shower. When she finished, Draco jumped in as she got ready. Since the bathroom was occupied, she conjured a mirror in the bedroom to get her hair under control. Just as she finished, he walked back in with a towel around his waist. He came up behind her and helped her put the locket he gave her on before wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled at him before tucking the necklace into her shirt which caused Draco to cock his head in curiousity.

"I love the locket, but I want to keep it to myself for now. I'm not quite ready to share it with the rest of the world yet. Right now, I just want it to be between us." she explained.

He nodded in understanding and kissed the base of her neck. "So since I heard voices downstairs, I'm assuming the Weasleys are back?" he said.

She nodded. "I think so."

He groaned and rested his forehead against her shoulder. She chuckled. "You won't be the only one wearing a sweater, you know."

He huffed. "But… I just…"

She turned around and rested her hands against his bare chest. "You what?" He shook his head. She could tell he was struggling with his thoughts. "Draco, you know you can tell me anything."

He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. It wasn't easy for him to let his walls down but when he did, it was for Narcissa or Hermione only. He knew neither would judge him for the feelings he kept hidden but that didn't mean that he was going to just release them whenever he wanted. This was one of those times, though, that his wall was down and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his feelings inside. He was silent for a moment before he finally confessed his thoughts. "I don't belong." he whispered. "I barely belonged amongst my friends at Hogwarts and I sure as _hell_ don't belong here with the Weasleys. I've never been one to be accepted immediately by families and seen as one of their own. I've always been a loner; I've never been one who's _belonged_ in a family. Not even my own, really."

Hermione eyes softened at Draco's confession. He lowered his eyes in shame at his confession. Hermione lifted his chin so he could look at her. "You belong with me." she said. His lips curved into a sad half crooked smile but it didn't reach his eyes. It broke her heart to see that after all this time, he still didn't see how important he had become; not just to her but to the Order and to their cause. She was starting to wonder if he'd ever see how important he really was. She could only hope she would be able to change his view.

"You belong." she promised. "You became one of us the minute you walked into this house with me. You've been a part of the Order for a while now and now you've been accepted into the Weasley family. I know it's a lot to take in, but believe me, you belong here."

His sad smile grew into a happy one as his eyes lit up a bit at her. She smiled at him and kissed him in which he replied with fervor. She tidied up the room as Draco got dressed, putting the present the twins got her on the bedside table as she was unsure what was inside it still but frankly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. When Draco was dressed (Weasley sweater and the watch Hermione gave him included) they walked downstairs together hand in hand. He let her hand go as they reached the hallway and nodded for her to go ahead without him. She smiled at him before going into the dining room. Draco took a deep breath before doing the same.

A majority of the Weasleys, Narcissa, and Harry were sitting at the dining table with Hermione standing behind Ginny picking a strawberry off her plate in which the redhead stared at her incredulously for. Ron was the first to notice Draco's entrance.

"Oh my God, Mum, you weren't kidding!" he said.

Everyone looked at Draco who immediately felt self conscious and crossed his arms over his chest as if to hide his sweater. Hermione bit her lip out of nervousness for him as Harry started laughing. "I have to admit, Malfoy," he started, "that sweater is very becoming on you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't you start, Potter."

Harry simply chuckled while Ginny and Ron seemed to be struggling for words. "Not one word, Weasley," Draco said, "not one word." The two redheads laughed causing Draco to roll his eyes. He didn't notice Mrs. Weasley was next to him until he heard her speak.

"Are the colors all right, dear?" she asked. "I wasn't sure what colors you liked so I went with something that I thought would be neutral."

He gave the woman a small smile. "The colors are just fine, Mrs. Weasley. It was very thoughtful of you to think of me. Thank you."

Draco had no warning as the breath was taken out of him by one of Mrs. Weasley's bone crushing hugs causing the rest of the Weasley family to laugh while Hermione beamed. She looked over to Narcissa who was smiling and gave her hand a squeeze in which the blonde returned. When Molly released Draco from her grip, she ushered him to take a seat at the table while she got him a plate of food. Ginny, who was sitting right across from him laughed as he gathered his breath.

"Congratulations, you're officially a member of the Weasley family." she teased.

Draco just groaned and looked at Hermione. "You could've at least warned me about the hug." he said.

She laughed. "I could have, but where would the fun in that be?"

Narcissa laughed at the exchange between her son and his girlfriend. She realized that she and Hermione were still holding hands and she gave it a light squeeze. "By the way, Hermione, thank you so much for that book you gave me. I broke into it a little bit this morning and I'm already very intrigued."

Hermione lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it! I wasn't sure if you had heard of it or not, but it's such a great book, I decided to take a chance."

Narcissa nodded. "I hadn't read it before but from what I've read so far, it seems wonderful."

"What book?" Draco asked, brows furrowed.

"_Rebecca_. It's one of the muggle books I gave you."

He nodded but before he could speak the back door opened and the Weasley twins walked in covered in snow but huge grins on their faces. "Hermione!" George said when he saw her. "Have you opened our present for you yet?"

"Considering it said not to open indoors, no. Why?" she asked.

"Good!" Fred said. "Because we realized we gave you the wrong gift! The one we gave you was supposed to go to Charlie. Fortunately, we caught our mistake in time before we sent yours to him."

Hermione chuckled. "Thank God. I was scared something was going to jump out at me if I opened it."

"Well, you're not far off." George said.

She laughed as she ran upstairs to get the package. When she came back downstairs, she was in for a shock. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed.

George had taken off his jacket and exposed his Weasley sweater. Except there was one problem: it was at least two sizes too small, to the point that his midriff was showing. And he was strutting around proudly without a care in the world. Hermione doubled over in laughter.

"W-what?" was all she managed to get out.

"Mum mixed up our sweaters this year," Ginny explained, "and George refuses to switch back. So I get the oversized sweater while he gets the one that's way too small for him."

"And I look fabulous!" George exclaimed causing Ginny to laugh.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." she joked.

As Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing, she handed the package over to Fred who gave her a package of _Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder_ from their shop as well as a container of _Candy in a Can._ She looked at the candy container suspiciously before Fred threw his hands up in surrender.

"We didn't jinx any of it, I swear."

She raised an eyebrow until Ginny calmed her nerves. "He's telling the truth. They gave me one too and all the one's I've tried on Harry and Ron have had no side effects so I think we're okay."

Harry and Ron looked at Ginny horrified. "We were your guinea pigs?!" Ron exclaimed. "But I'm your brother!"

"And I'm your boyfriend!" Harry exclaimed.

Ginny just gave them an innocent smile causing everyone to laugh. Hermione thanked the twins for their gifts and ran back upstairs to put them away before coming back down to enjoy Christmas with her second family and boyfriend and his mother.

After breakfast, everyone sat around and talked as a fire roared in the fireplace and music that Harry and Hermione called "swing music" played in the background. At one point, a song called _In the Mood_ came on and Harry asked Hermione to dance since they were the only two who recognized the song. It was a complete disaster though, as Harry was never a very skilled dancer which led to him looking absolutely ridiculous. Finally, Ginny got up and intervened, moving Harry aside, as she and Hermione got into places and began to dance together. It went well, at first, until both kept trying to lead the other which created another disaster and eventually causing the two of them to fall over and land on top of poor Ron who had the misfortune of breaking their fall with his body.

It wasn't until later that evening, when he was playing a game of Wizard's Chess against Ron, that Draco had an epiphany: Hermione was right. He _did_ belong here. With people who cared about him, made him laugh, and made Christmas sweaters for him even when it was least expected. He understood why Hermione and Harry loved the Weasleys so much; they may have been loud and crazy but that's what made them special. They loved one another deeply, even when making fun of each other, and was always there to support one another. He looked at his mother and shared a smile with her as he saw that she was thinking the same thing. The Weasleys had become a part of them now.

They were people they'd be able to rely on, people they could trust and vice versa.

An extended family.

And _damn_, did it feel good to belong.

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_**P.S. Of course, Draco got a Weasley sweater! It's kind of required! Hope you enjoyed it!**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: Just posted a cute Dramione one-shot! Please check it out and let me know what you think! Happy Memorial Day weekend!**_

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**Chapter 17:**

The rest of the holidays passed by in a flash and the next thing everyone knew, it was back to the daily grind. Ginny went back to Hogwarts while everyone else went back to work and training continued at Grimmauld Place as well as research on the next horcrux.

The next few months were uneventful except for a few attacks here and there. News of Narcissa's disappearance had become public now and many people were beginning to question how the wife and son of one of Voldemort's most loyal followers could vanish without a trace and then how could said son die but never find a body. The questions led to suspicions and whispers about what was really going on. Little did anyone expect, but those whispers were weakening the dark side every day since it looked like Voldemort was losing control. With every ounce of doubt that began to creep in against the Dark Lord, the light became a little bit stronger every day.

One week, the Order got wind of a pirate news broadcast called _Potterwatch_ that had been created and played at certain times on the radio that Harry had brought in to keep the public updated on what was going on surrounding information on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It could only be accessed that through a password that changed with every broadcast so, fortunately, nobody on the dark side could get access to it. Lee Jordan and Fred were co-hosts and they would occasionally have guests on the show that included Kingsley. Draco was surprised at just how well organized the Order and the rebels against Voldemort were.

One afternoon, they were taking a break from training when a breaking news broadcast appeared on _Potterwatch_. It was news of attacks and deaths. Some snatchers of Voldemort's had kidnapped some muggle-borns and killed them. Unfortunately, among the dead, was Ted Tonks, who was supposed to have been in hiding for the last few months since he was a muggle-born. How he was found, no one knew.

The room fell into silence as the broadcast ended. Narcissa looked like she was fighting tears as Draco and Ron looked at each other in disbelief. Hermione felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her and Harry looked furious. Finally, the latter exploded and smacked a glass off the table causing it to shatter and bringing everyone back to life.

Hermione was the first to react. "Harry-"

"Dont." he warned. "Don't you bloody _dare_, Hermione."

"I'm not going to do anything, I just-"

"I can't do this anymore!" he yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked trying to stay as calm as possible under the circumstances.

"I just can't! Good people keep dying because of me! Because Voldemort wants me! And he's never going to stop until he has me destroyed and even then, he'll continue to kill forever! He will never stop. Everything we've done is for nothing! It's pitting an army of ants against one giant boot and guess what, Hermione, _he's the bloody boot!_ It's not worth it anymore; not if people I love and care about are going to die! We might as well just give up now since he's going to win anyway!"

Hermione hadn't realized that she had moved until she felt her hand slap Harry across the face. She was too angry to even care that she had just hit her best friend. "Now you listen to me," she said darkly, "I did not spend seven years of my life saving your two stupid asses" she pointed to him and Ron, "from all the trouble you caused and got us into just to give up now. I didn't wipe my parent's memories and send them away just for you to tell me that everything we've ever done isn't worth it anymore. _Everything_ we've done has made a difference, one way or another. We've destroyed horcruxes, saved people's lives, fought together, defied every _bloody_ rule in Hogwarts _together_. I don't know about you, but to me, that's not nothing. Harry, we've come so far from those little eleven year olds who knew nothing about the world, wizard or muggle. But that never stopped us from trying to save people and doing the right thing."

"But what good is doing the right thing when people keep dying?" he said, his voice desperate and broken.

"People die everyday!" Hermione blurted. Harry looked at her, his mouth slightly agape as his eyes searched hers trying to understand what she had just said. She refused to look away from him. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it's true. Yes, we lost Cedric and Sirius and Ted. They were all good people that didn't deserve to die. But they died fighting for a cause they believed in. And I'm sorry to say they're not the first to die in this war and they won't be the last. And until we finish destroying the horcruxes, people will continue to die until we put an end to it."

He shook his head and closed his eyes as he bent over the table in defeat. Hermione looked at Draco who was watching her intently. He gave her a small nod in encouragement before she looked back at Harry and sighed. "You think I haven't thought about giving up?" she said quietly as Harry's head to perked up to look at her. "You think I haven't thought about running away and going into hiding somewhere? Believe me, I've considered it more than once. I wanted to go with my parents to Australia so badly and just hide. But I didn't for two reasons: 1) the safety would only last so long before we were found and ultimately killed and 2) for you. We've been with you since the beginning and we'll be with you until the end. I'll be damned if I ever let you fight that monster alone."

Harry took a deep breath. "What do you suggest we do then?"

She walked closer to him. "We keep fighting. We've come so far; we only have three horcruxes left. And with every one that we destroy, the weaker Voldemort gets. So we keep going; all four of us." Draco tried to hide his surprise that she included him in their group but couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when Ron gave him a small nod in agreement with Hermione's statement. "We keep training, finding and destroying horcruxes and we don't stop until they're all destroyed and he's dead." she continued. "And we sure as _hell_ don't back down. I mean, really, we're three Gryffindors and a Slytherin. Did you really think we'd go down without a fight?"

Harry's lips curved up a bit. "No, I suppose not."

She gave him a small smile and pulled him in for a hug which he returned gratefully. When she pulled back, she ruffled his hair causing him to smile. "Sorry I slapped you," she said.

He chuckled. "It's fine. I kind of needed it." Hermione chuckled and shrugged. Wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes, she took a deep breath and directed their attention back to training. While Ron and Harry followed Hermione back into the piano room, Draco stayed back for a moment to talk to Narcissa.

"You okay, Mum?"

She sighed. "Not really. Ted was a good man. Andy and Dora are going to be devastated."

He nodded. "I know."

They were silent for a moment out of respect for Ted. Narcissa chewed on the inside of her cheek before speaking. "I didn't know that about Hermione's parents." she started.

Draco just looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

Narcissa's eyes softened and she gave him a small smile. She kissed his temple before sending him back to training while she went to the living room to floo call Andromeda and comfort her sister as best she could.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Hermione broke down into tears. Within seconds, Draco wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth in a soothing manner. Neither said a word; he knew why she was crying.

She was terrified. Ted dying made the war that much more real. They were all scared. There was no turning back now; they were all involved in this for the long haul. Draco could only pray to whoever would listen that they made it out alive.

He just held her as she cried and she clung to him as she did the day Ron got splinched. She refused to let go of him not trusting herself to even sit on her own, fearing she would collapse from fear. Draco laid her down on the bed and tucked her in as he laid down next to her to bring her back into his arms. He gave her soft kisses to soothe and reassure her. His heart broke seeing her in such a state but knew that the only way to comfort her was to keep doing what he was doing. So he did. He held her and comforted her as she cried and whimpered throughout the night. He didn't care how tired he was, he stayed awake for her. He would not fall asleep when she needed him most.

It wasn't until it past three o'clock in the morning that she finally fell asleep with him drifting off shortly after. They never once let go of one another.


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Alright guys, there's a couple more slow chapters I think and then it starts to pick up so, please, be patient! I promise it will be worth the wait. Also, if you guys want to post anything about this story to Tumblr or whatever else there is that shares Fanfiction stories, please do, I won't object. If anything, I'd be flattered! Thanks for the love, you guys! I appreciate it. Oh! One more thing: check out Work Song by Hozier. I don't know why but that song just screams Dramione to me... I don't know, maybe it's just me but I love that song and I love Hozier so go check it out anyway!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

Three weeks later, Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin was born. Named after his grandfather and father, he inherited the metamorphmagus gene from his mother, much to his father's relief. When Tonks and Lupin brought the baby to Grimmauld Place for the first time, Andromeda was with them. She was smiling but her eyes held pain and sadness. Narcissa stayed by her side the entire time, something her sister seemed to be extremely grateful for.

As for Harry and Hermione, seeing their godson brought some light back into their lives. Neither could stop smiling. The moment Hermione held Teddy in her arms her eyes lit up and she fell in love. He gave her a toothless grin that caused her to laugh. Draco was standing next to Tonks, watching Hermione as she cooed at the little bundle in her arms. Suddenly, he had flashes of Hermione doing the same thing to a baby with blonde hair and soft brown eyes; _her _eyes. He couldn't help but want to smile at the image as he thought about what it would be like to see Hermione holding their child as he looked on proudly. Instead, he frowned as he realized that was a thought for another day; if they ever made it out of this nightmare alive. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of the image but the feeling he got when he saw it lingered.

Hermione saw him shake his head and looked at him questioningly but was only answered with a shrug. She pursed her lips as if considering to push the subject but let it drop as the baby squirmed in her arms. She adjusted her hold on Teddy as Draco walked over to her.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey," she replied, smiling as the baby relaxed in her arms again.

Draco noticed. "You're a natural." he remarked.

She chuckled. "I've always been good around kids. I used to babysit for my neighbors during the summer and they were always amazed because I was able to get the kids into bed at a reasonable time with hardly any fuss. It's just something I've always been good at."

"Along with everything else," Draco muttered.

She opened her mouth to retort but thought better and just shrugged instead. He chuckled. She smiled. "You want to hold him?"

His eyes widened slightly and he shook his head. "No thanks. I'm more of the observant type."

She looked at him incredulously. "Come on, Draco, he's your cousin. You should get to know him as best you can."

He looked as if he wanted to argue but couldn't come up with anything so he just huffed in defeat. Hermione smiled as she passed the baby over to Draco. "Mind his head," she said quietly. The baby squirmed as Draco seemed awkward about how to hold him. Hermione chuckled. "Chances are, if you're uncomfortable, he will be. Relax." She put her hands on his shoulders to relax them from their hunched position. He loosened his shoulders and adjusted his hold on the baby which immediately felt more comfortable as Teddy stopped squirming.

"See?" she said, smiling.

Draco didn't say anything. He just looked at the baby who looked back at him with big blue eyes. Teddy gave Draco a toothless grin and the blonde smiled back unconsciously. He was amazed how something so small and happy could be born in a time of destruction and despair. But then he realized that Teddy was for everyone else what Hermione was for him: the light in the darkness. The little flicker of hope in a world that seemed hopeless.

Teddy yawned and fell asleep in Draco's arms. "Hm." the blonde said, "he's not so bad once you get past the drooling."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You were a baby too, once, Draco."

"Thank Merlin I don't remember any of it." he joked.

She shook her head and smiled. "I give up."

He smirked at her but it turned into a smile as Tonks walked up to them. "I see you got him to fall asleep early. Thanks. That makes my job easy tonight."

Hermione quietly laughed as Tonks took the baby from Draco's arms, careful not to wake him up. They left shortly afterwards and everyone retreated to their rooms. Hermione was reading a book and fiddling with her locket as Draco walked into the room after saying goodnight to Narcissa. He sighed as he laid down next to her on the bed and kissed her temple as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Hermione bit her lip. "Draco."

"Hm?"

"Do you like kids?"

His hand froze as his brows furrowed. "Where'd _that_ come from?"

She shook her head. "Nowhere. I was just curious 'cause I realized the only time I'd ever seen you around kids was tonight with Teddy."

He thought about that before shrugging and resuming playing with her hair. "I do like kids. I just haven't had a lot of experience around them which tends to make me a bit uneasy." His eyes widened for a moment. "Please tell me you're not asking because you're pregnant."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "No, thank God! I have no intention of that happening for years!"

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay good, me too."

Hermione bit her lip as she considered what Draco said. He could have just meant he didn't plan on becoming a parent for years but it was the way that he said it that made her think he meant with _her_. She couldn't help but smile a little at that idea but pushed it to the back of her mind for the time being. There were bigger issues at hand at the moment. But that didn't curve her curiosity.

"What do you want to do for a living?" she asked, closing her book and setting it on the bedside table. "I mean, after all this is over, what do you want to do?"

Draco thought about it for a minute as Hermione laid down next to him on the bed and propped herself up on one arm. "As a kid, I just assumed I wouldn't need to work since I had such a healthy inheritance coming. I always imagined I'd just be a philanthropist of sorts and maybe travel the world or something since I wouldn't have to work. But now, I don't think I want to do that. I don't think I could stand not having any work and just staying home all day, especially after being locked up in this house for so long. I don't know, I haven't thought about it much. I guess I'd probably work at the Ministry or start my own business. Who knows; maybe I'll end up being a Healer at St. Mungo's."

She smiled. "I think you'd be a good Healer."

"You think?" he asked looking at her. She nodded and he pursed his lips. "Hm, we'll see what happens. What about you? What do you want to do?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I'm not crazy about picking up a job at the Ministry since I don't like how things are run there. Too many politics. But I would like to do some work where I'm helping House Elves and other mistreated creatures; someone has to stand up for them. But like you said, who knows; maybe I'll end up at Oxford studying Dentistry like my parents. God, I hope that doesn't happen."

Draco chuckled. "What's Oxford?"

"A university in muggle London. University's where you can continue your education after you finish high school (or Hogwarts for us) in the muggle world; you study a certain field, Dentistry for example, and get a degree in it so that you can get a job in that field."

"Sounds exhausting."

She chuckled. "Yeah, it's a bit time consuming. But if you're studying something you love, it's worth it."

Draco was quiet for a moment. "You think _I_ could get into Oxford?"

Her lips curved up into a small smile. "I'm sure you could. But you'd be surrounded by muggles and you wouldn't be allowed to use any magic."

He shuddered at the thought. "Merlin forbid. Can't use magic, what a terrifying idea."

Hermione couldn't help the grin that was on her face. "What?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, just… just that the idea of not being able to use magic is more terrifying to you than going to school with muggles makes me happy. You've come such a long way and I couldn't be more proud of you." He smiled at her as she moved so that she was resting on his torso as she brushed some hair out of his face. He entwined his fingers with hers before closing the distance between them to kiss her. They fell asleep into each other's arms not knowing that that would be the last night of peaceful sleep they would get for a while.


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: Alright guys, from here on out it's gonna start to pick up so get ready for some freaking feels! Not immediately, but they're coming. I'm so glad you guys like this story it makes me so happy! I adore you guys! **_

_**On a totally unrelated note: HOLY SH*T GAME OF THRONES! I missed Sunday's episode and I still haven't had a chance to watch it but I just saw a spoiler on Tumblr and I'm hyperventilating! Holy crap holy crap holy crap! EEEEKKKKK!**_

_**Okay, I'm going to go fangirl by myself now. Thanks for listening. **_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

"Why are you looking at me like that? You should be relieved we know which horcrux is in Gringotts now!"

"Yeah, except for the fact that Gringotts is _huge_ and we don't even know where to begin looking!"

"Ron, sit down, you're going to give yourself a hernia. Harry's right, the fact that we know which horcrux is in Gringotts is great news. Now we just need to narrow it down to who Voldemort would trust to put it in their vault."

"Stop looking at me like that, Weasley. I wouldn't know where the bloody horcrux is; I've been dead for months remember? And even before then, the Dark Lord didn't trust me as far as he could throw me."

The night before, Harry had a vision of Helga Hufflepuff's cup and that it was in a vault somewhere in Gringotts. Elated with what he saw, he immediately told Ron, Hermione, and Draco and they were now discussing where the cup might be. Narcissa was in the other room, listening in on the conversation and couldn't help but be intrigued by what she heard. Finding, that they were getting no where, she took a chance on a hunch she had and entered the dining room where the four were sitting.

"Excuse me, Harry, but I have a question for you," she began.

Harry looked at her expectantly as did the other three. Narcissa cleared her throat. "Hufflepuff's cup; is it kind of gaudy looking? Bronze with two handles and a laurel leaf design with a badger on it?"

Everyone's eyes widened. "Mum," Draco said, "you've seen it?"

Narcissa nodded solemnly as her suspicions were confirmed. "Yes. And I think I know where it is."

Draco groaned recognizing the look in his mother's eyes. It was the look she always gave him before she told him bad news. "_Please_ tell me it's in your vault, mother." he said.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "It's in Bella's."

The room went silent as they contemplated what Narcissa had just told them. Hermione was the first to gather her bearings. "Bella. As in Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"The one and only." Narcissa said.

Ron threw his hands into the air. "Well that's great. That's just bloody fantastic! How the hell are we supposed to get in there?!"

Narcissa bit her lip in apprehension. She had an idea but she wasn't sure she was comfortable sending a group of teenagers (her son included) into Gringotts to retrieve a horcrux in her sister's vault. She didn't care that they had done it before, now that she and Draco were involved, it made her nervous to let them go freely. And, although she hadn't told anyone, she had grown quite fond of the Golden Trio, Hermione especially. Blame it on her maternal instinct but she didn't want to put them in danger; if she could she'd protect them all.

But she couldn't.

"Narcissa," Hermione said, pulling her out of her thoughts, "are you alright?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm fine. I just… I think I might have an idea for how you can get into the bank."

Harry's eyes widened and Draco looked at her suspiciously as Narcissa fully entered the room and stood by the table. "I found a hair of Bella's in my hairbrush the other day. It's still there. If you make a Polyjuice Potion, I can give you the hair to put in and Hermione can pretend to be Bella for a short while and get into the vault to get the cup. The problem is that Bella's vault is in the deep deep levels of the bank and it takes a while to get down there. I'm not sure how long the potion would last."

"That's not the only problem," Ron added, "there's also the matter of getting into the bank in the first place, then finding the bloody thing, then getting out all while Hermione pretends to be Bellatrix Bloody Lestrange! No offense Mrs. Malfoy." he included.

"None taken." Narcissa said quietly.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Draco said. "Why did Hermione suddenly get volunteered to be my psycho aunt?! Have you lost your mind?" He ignored Narcissa's pursed lips at his reference to her sister but didn't miss the look exchanged between her and his girlfriend.

"Hermione's the only one who'd be able to pull it off." Harry explained. "It'd be less believable if it were one of us plus Hermione's the smartest out of all of us; it'd be better if she was in control of the situation even if she wasn't really her."

"Absolutely not! No way! It's too big of a risk! The goblins aren't stupid; they'll know something's not right if we send her in there! Even if they can't figure it out right away, they'll know that it's not really Bellatrix."

"Have you any better ideas then, Malfoy?" Ron challenged.

"Send someone else! Someone we can trust-"

"Who?!" Harry asked. "No one else knows about the horcrux hunt except us and sending in someone else is even _more_ dangerous than doing the job ourselves! If you want a job done right, you do it yourself-"

"Oh, don't get all poetic on me, Potter, it doesn't suit you! I don't care about your damned logic behind this, we're _not _sending her in there!"

"ALRIGHT, ALL OF YOU, SHUT IT!" Hermione bellowed.

Immediately all three boys went silent as they looked at the small brunette. She looked furious and Narcissa, behind her, didn't look very happy either. "I can speak for myself, thank you." Hermione said, her voice stern and even despite feeling anger inside. She looked to her boyfriend. "Draco, I understand that you're trying to protect me and I appreciate that, but I don't need it. I've been doing stupid and dangerous things since I was eleven and I'm sure as hell not going to stop now. I don't need you to protect me, I need you to support me." Draco's eyes softened at her but his jaw was still taut and his fists were still clenched.

She turned her attention to her best friends. "As for you two, don't _ever_ volunteer me for something like that again." Ron opened his mouth to interject that Narcissa had technically volunteered her but closed it when he saw Hermione glare at him. "I can make my own decisions, I don't need you two to make them for me," she continued. "That being said, I _will_ pretend to be Bellatrix because it's the only way for it to be believable. Harry will have to be under the Invisibility Cloak and just follow us as quietly as possible as we get in. Ron, Draco, we'll just change your appearance-"

"Wait, since when are you coming with us?" Ron interrupted, looking to Draco.

Draco scoffed. "If you think I'm letting her go into Gringotts dressed up as my aunt with just you two for backup, you've got another thing coming, Weasley."

Ron shook his head. "It's too dangerous as it is! We bring one more person in with us and it might set them off!"

"I'm the only person who knows what Bellatrix is like, _personally_, and without my help on that, you're all done for."

Ron was about to retort but Hermione cleared her throat, distracting him. She raised an eyebrow at the two before looking to Narcissa. "Would it be out of character for Bellatrix to have two people with her when she went to her vault?"

The blonde thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. Bella doesn't need bodyguards, per se, but she always did like to travel with an entourage."

Hermione nodded before looking back to Ron and Draco. "There you have it. Draco's coming. It'd be better if we had someone with us who knows Bellatrix's character, anyway."

Draco looked at Ron and smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes before looking back to Narcissa. "The Polyjuice potion will take about a month to make. Do you think it'll still be there by then?"

She nodded. "It should be. The Dark Lord doesn't know what you're doing and Bella thought it was just a useless artifact so I doubt anyone will go looking for it right now."

The brunette breathed in relief. "There is something else, though," Narcissa added. "The cart that leads you to the vaults can only be run by a goblin."

Harry bit his lip. "I might be able to help with that."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You know a goblin that can help?"

"I know a goblin." Harry corrected. "Getting him to help might be a bit tricky."

"You mean Griphook?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. Ron thought for a moment. "Bill said they don't make deals unless they can get something in return. And I highly doubt a sack of Galleons will suffice."

Draco shook his head. "Goblins are greedy. You're going to need something of value. Of _important_ value."

They all thought for a moment but nothing came to mind. They dropped the subject for the time being as Hermione began to brew the Polyjuice Potion while leaving the boys to train on their own. They all trusted each other enough to train together without the risk of trying to kill each other; still, Narcissa watched them and gave them advice just to be safe. As the night continued, training came to a close and everyone found different things to do to keep themselves entertained: Ron and Harry began a game of Wizard's Chess, Narcissa played a soft melody on the piano, and Draco watched Hermione as she brewed the potion. He chuckled at her appearance: her hair was beginning to curl uncontrollably from the steam, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes had a determined but distant look to them as she focused on her task. She seemed to have forgotten his presence until he brushed a strand of hair behind her hair causing her to look at him.

He gave her a small smile. "You should get some rest. You've been working on this thing for hours." She was about to protest before Draco interrupted her again. "I know you want to work on it love, but the potion won't even be finished for another month. You should try and get as much rest as you can since you'll be spending all your energy on this and training."

She looked at her watch and yawned as she saw that it was half past eleven in the evening. Sighing in defeat, she put away her supplies and put her cauldron somewhere safe before letting Draco lead her up the stairs to their room. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. Her blonde lover smiled at her as he kissed her temple before crawling into bed to get some sleep too.

* * *

The month had passed quicker than expected and the Polyjuice Potion was ready. All four teenagers were standing in the dining room preparing to leave for Gringotts to steal the horcrux. They were just waiting on Griphook.

Bill had found Griphook a few months back after he had escaped the clutches of snatchers; the same snatchers that had killed Ted, in fact. He had been staying at Bill and Fleur's place ever since. Harry and Ron went to Griphook asking for help to break into the vault. As they expected, the goblin wanted something in return. Fortunately, they didn't visit him empty handed.

A few weeks prior, Ron had gone scouting to see if he could find any information on the Dark Lord or his followers. While investigating, he stumbled upon the sword of Gryffindor amongst a pile of snow and leaves deep in the mountain ranges. He brought it back to Grimmauld Place ecstatic. Although everyone was confused as to how Ron found it, none of them questioned it, deciding it was better not to look a gift horse in the mouth. As it turns out, finding the sword became useful as they promised it to Griphook in return for his help to get into the bank much to Hermione's chagrin. They later told her, however, that they did not intend to give Griphook the sword as it should stay with them since they were Gryffindors and it would be better for them to keep it as they could use it to destroy the cup. Hermione didn't like that plan much better.

Narcissa came downstairs to the dining room holding a hairbrush and a black cloak and dress that would be similar to something Bellatrix would wear. The blonde handed the two to Hermione as she filled a cup with the potion. Narcissa gave her an encouraging smile as Hermione grimaced at the smell coming from the potion. They refreshed themselves on the plan once more before Griphook arrived as Hermione grabbed the clothes and potion to go change.

"Wait," Draco said grabbing her arm and turning her back around to face him. Before she could question him, his lips crashed against hers passionately. She kissed him back with fervor as she allowed herself to forget what they were about to do for one second. Harry, Ron, and Narcissa looked away to give the two a moment but that didn't stop the smile growing on the latter's face. She hadn't told either of them, but she approved of Hermione. They were able to keep each other in line and challenge each other in more ways than one. He smiled brighter when he was around her and his eyes had a fire in them that had been dimmed for years. She had brought him back to life in ways Narcissa never imagined and she would forever be grateful.

As they pulled out of the kiss, they looked at one another, silver into brown. He kissed her forehead as she took a deep breath. "Sorry," he said quietly, "I just had to do that before you turned into… _her_."

She gave him a small smile and caressed his cheek. He leaned into her touch. "Everything's going to be fine. We're going to be fine." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince: him or herself. Draco seemed to sense this and kissed her palm before taking her hand in both of his. She stood up straight and took a deep breath before walking to the bathroom to change, not letting go of his hand until she had to. Draco's hand lingered in the air a moment longer before taking a deep breath himself and clearing his throat bringing the attention back to him. "Alright, what are we doing for these disguises?"

Meanwhile, Hermione was doing some deep breathing exercises to calm her rapid heartbeat. Her arms were on the sink and her head dipped. _You can do this, Hermione_, she told herself. _You can do this. The whole world depends on this. Do it for mum and dad. Do it for Harry and Ron. Do it for Draco._ With those thoughts running through her mind, she splashed her face with water before changing into the clothes Narcissa lent her. After she was dressed, she took the black curly hair from Narcissa's hairbrush and dropped it into the potion. She gagged as it gurgled, plugged her nose and drank the thick liquid.

She slammed the cup down on the counter and took a deep breath as she tried to prevent herself from vomiting. As the nausea went away, she noticed her hands begin to change. They transformed from her soft and clean hands into dirty, pale, and thin ones. Her nails changed to long, dark ones that almost looked like claws while she gained a couple of inches in height and her hair changed from a light brown into a dark black. Last to change was her face as her young features transformed into that of an older woman with dark eyes, a pale complexion, and teeth that would give her parents nightmares for years.

Hermione approved her appearance in the mirror. She was a splitting image of Bellatrix Lestrange. The only difference was the innocent look in the eyes rather than the crazed ones she had seen. Hermione took her meager supply of makeup and added some dark eyeliner to make the eyes more intense and tousled the hair a little more to give it an extra frenzied type of look. When she felt satisfied, she straightened her posture and tried a couple of sneers and smirks in the mirror that she felt belonged to the face. Satisfied with what she could come up with, she returned to the dining room to find Griphook standing with Harry and two men she didn't recognize until she realized they were Ron and Draco.

Ron's hair had been changed to a dirty brown color and his blue eyes had been changed to a dark brown. He was wearing black robes and held himself in such a way that was intimidating but mysterious, as if he were daring you to approach him. Draco, on the other hand, had changed his hair to a dark black and his silver eyes changed to a dark brown also. He also wore black robes but held himself in the typical Malfoy stance: proud, strong, and intimidating.

Hermione gave them a quick nod before looking to Harry. "Ready?"

He nodded and they all walked to the living room to have enough space for all five to apparate. Narcissa followed. "One last thing you should know," she said. "Bella's got a duplication charm on the items in her vault. If you touch anything other than the cup, you'll be burned and then the object will multiply continuously until it completely covers you. Make sure you don't touch anything other than that cup."

All four nodded. Narcissa turned to her son and pulled him in for a hug. "Please be careful." she begged.

He nodded. "We will, mum," he reassured her.

Narcissa let him go and turned to Hermione. "Remember, Bella is ruthless and she doesn't take no for an answer. Keep your chin up, shoulders back, and glare at anybody who dares to look at you sideways."

Hermione nodded and gulped. She was caught by surprise when Narcissa pulled her into a hug but quickly returned the gesture. The Slytherin pulled away and smiled at her as she finally looked at Harry and Ron. "You two be careful also. Ron, be sure to stand tall and try to be as confident as you can. Any sign of nervousness will signal that something's wrong. And Harry, I'm sure I don't have to tell you to just be as quiet and patient as possible."

Both boys nodded and were caught by surprise as well when Narcissa gave each of them a hug. They both returned the gesture, however, before grabbing everyone's hand and apparating to Diagon Alley.

And then Narcissa Malfoy was alone.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: So, fair warning, some things are going to mirror the movie rather than the book because I had a better image in my head of the events from the films rather than the books and it was easier for me to write it that way. So, just wanted to make ya'll aware. So... yeah, that's it. Happy Friday!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

When the scenery around them stopped spinning, Draco looked around him. They were in a small alleyway in Diagon Alley. He looked at the group and made sure that everyone was there, which they were. He looked to Hermione, waiting for her to dictate what happens next.

"Ready?" she asked. They nodded. Griphook climbed onto Harry's back and Ron covered them with the invisibility cloak. Hermione straightened her posture and put on a stoic facade before taking a deep breath and walking out of the alley with Ron, Draco, and Harry following close behind.

While walking to the bank, an older wizard bowed his head and said good morning to Bellatrix (Hermione). Not trusting her voice, she simply gave the man a curt nod and kept walking with her chin held high. Draco resisted the urge to smirk; Hermione may have been nervous but she was a natural at this. He only hoped it would be enough to fool the goblins.

Her walking slowed as she entered the bank. Every footstep against the marble floor felt as if it were making every second longer. She kept her breathing steady and never looked anywhere else except straight ahead at the main desk in the bank. Draco and Ron followed close behind, very aware of the eyes on them but neither faltered in their step or appearance as they tried to remain as calm as possible.

Finally, Hermione approached the desk. The goblin sitting there did not acknowledge her at first. Hermione cleared her throat.

Nothing.

She cleared her throat a little louder this time and the goblin looked up. He at first looked surprised to see Bellatrix Lestrange there but quickly recovered his composure.

"Why, Ms. Lestrange. What a surprise." he said.

"I wish to enter my vault." she said, her voice far more confident than she felt.

"Of course," the goblin said, "just allow me one moment Ms. Lestrange."

As soon as he walked off, Hermione silently released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. So far so good. The goblin seemed to believe her; hopefully he would be quick so that they could get down to the vaults. Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly as the goblin returned but her breath soon caught in her throat as another goblin returned with him, this one much older with glasses and a menacing stare.

"I wish to enter my vault." she said again to the older goblin. He studied her.

"Not a problem, Ms. Lestrange," he said in a fake pleasant tone. "If you would let us see your wand, we'd be happy to lead you to your vault."

_Uh oh, _she thought. _Think fast_. "I fail to see why that is necessary."

"It is for precautionary measures." the goblin said.

She scoffed. "'Precautionary measures.' Right. This is ridiculous. I want to enter my vault. I will not argue about this."

"We cannot let you enter your vault without seeing your wand first, Ms. Lestrange."

"I am not here to play games." she threatened, darkly as she narrowed her eyes.

"Nor am I." he replied.

Hermione stared him down as she debated what to do but before she could react, a puff of magic appeared next to the goblin and his face immediately relaxed into a creepy smile. It was then, that Hermione realized Harry must have used the Imperius charm on him. Although she was against the use of Unforgivables, she was grateful for Harry's quick thinking.

"Very well, Ms. Lestrange," the goblin said in a creepy high pitched tone, "if you will follow me."

As soon as they were in the cart room, Hermione, Ron, and Draco all let out the breaths they had been holding and Harry and Griphook threw the invisibility cloak off. He gave it to Hermione who stuffed in a bag that she had hidden underneath her cloak. She had put an undetectable extension charm on it so the bag was much deeper on the inside than its outside suggested. She had also stuffed the sword of Gryffindor in the bag earlier that morning for safe keeping.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, "I was sure we were done for. Well done, Harry! I never would have thought of using the Imperius curse. And you, Hermione, you were just brilliant! There was a moment there that I really believed you were Bellatrix."

Hermione gave Ron a weak smile as she took deep breaths to even her rapidly beating pulse. She felt a hand hold on to hers and looked at Draco. "You alright?" he asked. Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

"Come on," Griphook said, "we don't have much time."

They all piled into the cart (the Imperiused goblin included) as Griphook hit the gear and they were off. Hermione never let go of Draco's hand as the cart rocked back and forth on the tracks. Harry looked uncomfortable and Ron looked like he was about to vomit any minute but kept his nausea down. They were in the cart for what felt like minutes before they saw a giant waterfall a few feet away. Griphook began to scramble as he tried to stop the cart.

"Griphook," Harry said, "Griphook, what is that?"

The goblin didn't have time to respond as he was too focused to stop the cart. He didn't stop it in time, however, as they drove underneath the waterfall and the cart suddenly came to an immediate stop. Suddenly, the tracks vanished along with the bottom of the cart and everyone was falling very fast with no way of stopping.

As they got closer to the ground, Hermione pulled out her wand. "_Aresto Momentum!_" she yelled. Suddenly, everyone stopped just a few feet above the ground then dropped to the hard surface. All four groaned as they stood up. "Thanks Hermione," Ron said.

She nodded before her eyes grew wide in recognition. "Ron, you're you again!"

He looked at himself and realized that sure enough, the red hair was back as were his blue eyes. Draco and Hermione realized the same about themselves. They stared at each other wide eyed before hearing an angry voice behind them.

"What the hell are you all doing down here?!" the goblin yelled, the Imperius curse clearly no longer in effect. "Do you realize that what you've just done is illegal? I should have you all arres-"

"_Imperio_." Harry said, and suddenly the goblin was back to his creepy happy self. Hermione looked disapprovingly at Harry but he didn't notice. "Griphook, what was that?"

"Thief's Downfall. It washes away any and all illusion charms. I forgot about that."

Harry huffed. "Alright, well, too late now. We're here right?" Griphook nodded. "Fine," Harry said, "let's get moving. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to."

They all nodded and followed Griphook as he led them to the vault. They walked into a large open atrium with high ceilings; in the middle of the room was a huge dragon with sad eyes and chains on it's legs. Griphook walked over to a basket where shakers were and handed one to Ron. "It's been trained to think that the sound means pain." he explained.

"That's barbaric." Hermione said, appalled. Griphook said nothing. Her heart hurt as she watched the creature cry out as Griphook and Ron shook the shakers. Draco grabbed Hermione's hand to comfort her but it didn't soothe her as much as he would've liked. As they exited the room, they walked upstairs and down a hall that would lead them to the vault. When they got into the vault, Griphook took the Imperiused goblin's hand and placed it on the vault door. Immediately, the door unlocked and opened into a large vault packed with gold, money, and trinkets of all sorts of value. The Golden Trio walked into the vault in awe while Draco just looked around it uncomfortable. Being in his aunt's vault didn't feel right to him and he wanted to turn around and run but stayed. He wouldn't walk out when they needed him most.

"Can you sense it, Harry?" Ron asked, pulling Draco out of his thoughts. "Is it here?"

The brunette grunted in pain as he touched his scar. "Yeah, it's here."

"_Accio horcrux_." Hermione said. Nothing happened. "Well, it was worth a shot."

"That kind of magic won't work in here," Griphook said.

Draco looked around, careful not to touch anything as did everyone else. Suddenly, he heard Harry gasp. "There!" he said, pointing to the back of the vault. "That's it!" Draco followed his line of sight and saw Helga Hufflepuff's cup sitting in the back of the vault on the highest shelf. The problem was there were shelves of other items underneath the one that the cup was on. As they tried to figure out how to get the cup, there was suddenly a loud clang and a yelp.

They all looked to find Ron holding his hand and a gold goblet on the floor quickly multiplying faster than they could count. "Weasley!" Draco exclaimed. Before Ron could retort Hermione screamed as she bumped into another object that burned her and immediately began to duplicate. As the duplicated items began to pile onto one another, other objects would get hit and begin to duplicate as well. The room was overflowing with items so quickly that they were struggling to find places to put their feet.

"Grab the cup!" Hermione yelled at Harry. "We'll try and clear the way!"

Harry grabbed the sword of Gryffindor from Hermione's bag before charging towards the pile of items that was growing in front of him. Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Griphook tried to move some of the objects out of the way but were quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of how fast the objects were duplicating.

Harry was climbing up a large pile of items that continuously kept growing. He was beginning to struggle as the objects started to surround him, making it more difficult to move. Just as he was inches away from the cup, the pile overwhelmed him and suddenly Harry could no longer be seen.

"Harry!" Hermione called in fear. The pile he was buried under had stopped moving and duplicating. It was dead silent in the vault. Then everything came back to life as Harry popped out from the pile, cup in one hand and sword in the other, and began to maneuver his way out of the now moving pile. He grunted as he struggled against the force of the objects. Hermione, Ron, and Draco were fighting the force of the objects as well as they were also surrounded. Harry grunted as he fell down and lost the cup only to see it being picked up by Griphook.

"Griphook!" Harry said, straining against the force of the objects. He reached out for the cup but the goblin held it back.

"The cup or the sword, Potter! Take your pick!" he said. Harry looked to Hermione who gave him a small nod before he tossed the sword to Griphook who threw the cup back to him as he finally crawled out of the pile. Harry tossed the cup to Hermione, who stuffed into her bag quickly, before looking back at Griphook and seeing that he was walking out of the vault.

"What are you doing?!" Harry exclaimed.

"I told you I'd get you into the vault," Griphook said as he sneered. "I never said anything about getting you out."

"Griphook!" Harry called as the goblin walked out of the vault and began to close the door. At once Hermione and Draco looked to each other and knew what to do. Together, they pointed their wands to the objects and yelled "_Finite Incantatem!_" All at once, the objects stopped moving and they booked it to the entrance, shoving the door open before it closed completely. As they ran into the hall, they found that Griphook was already gone and the goblin that Harry had Imperiused was standing in the middle of the atrium near the dragon. But that wasn't their biggest problem.

When the vault had been opened, it seemed an alarm had gone off and a huge amount of goblins were now in the atrium, wands at the ready pointing at the four teenagers. "Shit," Draco said as spells immediately began flying towards them. They each hid behind a wall next to the opening of the hallway as sparks flew past them. Suddenly they all felt extreme warmth and the spells stopped for a moment. Hermione took a peek and saw that the dragon was breathing fire towards the goblins who were now hiding behind large columns in the atrium (except the Imperiused one who wasn't so lucky). She took the break to her advantage to think of a way to get out of there. She looked around and saw the high ceilings then looked back at the dragon. _There's got to be a better plan than that..._

She flew back behind the wall as a spell came flying towards her. She looked next to her at Draco who looked scared out of his wits. She grabbed his hand in reassurance before looking towards Ron and Harry across from her. "We've got to get out of here! Any ideas?"

"You're the smart one! You come up with something!" Ron yelled.

"I've got one idea but it's _mad_!"

"Just do it!" Ron said.

She took a deep breath before turning towards the fence that was in between the two walls they were hiding behind. "_Reducto!_" she said before hiding her face as the fence blew off the wall. She took a few steps back from the opening, careful not to get hit by any spells coming towards them, gave herself a running start and jumped onto the dragon's back. Harry, Ron, and Draco looked at her dumbfounded as she adjusted herself on the creature. "Well come on, then!" she yelled.

Harry was next to jump onto the dragon and after him was Ron. Draco was last but as he latched onto the dragon, his foot slipped and he almost fell off. Thinking quickly, however, Harry grabbed his wrist and began to pull him up. As he got closer to the top of the dragon, Ron grabbed his leg and helped pull him up so he would be sitting on the dragon. As soon as Draco was up, Hermione blasted off the chains on the dragon and the creature immediately took flight. As the dragon went higher and higher in the air, the spells began to have a harder time reaching them. Hermione almost sighed in relief until she realized that they were going to burst through the roof.

"Watch your heads!" she yelled before ducking and covering her head with her arms. The boys did the same right before the dragon burst through the roof. They kept their heads down as they burst through two more layers and then finally the main floor of Gringotts. The dragon flew right past the beautiful chandelier in the main entryway and straight through the windowed ceiling. As the dragon got a taste of fresh air, it paused on top of the roof to breathe it in. Hermione took that moment to shake the glass out of hair and check on the boys.

"You guys okay?" There was a mumbled yes from the boys. "Good, hold on tight. This is going to get rough." All three held onto the person in front of them as Hermione turned around and blasted the dragon's rear end with a weak enough spell so it wouldn't hurt it but it would get to move. The dragon got the message and lifted its large wings and took flight. Soon, Gringotts and Diagon Alley were far behind them.

"That was brilliant!" Ron said as the shock weared away. "Absolutely mad but brilliant!"

As any visible civilization vanished, the four quickly realized that they needed to get back to Grimmauld Place. Question was: how? As if to answer their question, Harry noticed that they were now flying over a large body of water. He looked forward and saw that land was close by; he just needed to time it right.

"When I say jump, jump off the dragon and into the water, okay?" he instructed.

The other three nodded. Harry waited a moment. "JUMP!"

Immediately, all four jumped off the dragon and fell into the freezing cold water of the lake. It took a second for each to resurface but as they did, they all went towards land. After ensuring that everyone was okay and that Hermione still had the cup (she did), they all clasped hands and apparated back to Grimmauld Place to regroup.


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: So, so sorry about the late update! Our wifi got disconnected and we didn't get it fixed until today! Thank you all for being so patient though! I appreciate it. To reward you, you get a super long chapter! Yay! Thanks again, guys!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 21:**

Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in the living room, reading the book Hermione gave her for Christmas when four teenagers popped into the room. Noticing their haggard and soaking wet appearance, she immediately started a fire in the fireplace and approached them.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Griphook bloody betrayed us is what happened!" Ron exclaimed.

Before Narcissa could ask what Ron meant, she heard Hermione cry. "Harry!" the brunette said. "Harry, breathe! Don't let him in!" Harry had collapsed to the ground, one hand clutching his forehead as he grunted in pain.

"What's happening?" Narcissa asked concerned.

"Harry's got a strange connection to the Dark Lord. He can see inside his head sometimes and see what he sees." Ron explained. Narcissa took a sharp intake of breath and crouched down on the other side of Harry and rubbed his back soothingly as the young Gryffindor fought with his thoughts. After what felt like forever, Harry stopped grunting and his breathing slowed back to a normal level. He kept his eyes closed but they were no longer strained. When he finally did open his eyes, Narcissa let out a sigh of relief and helped him to his feet. She led him to the couch while Hermione ran to the kitchen to get him a glass of water.

"What did you see, Harry?" Ron asked. He merely shook his head, not ready to share what he had seen just yet. He gratefully took the glass from Hermione when she returned.

Narcissa looked to her son and the redhead. "What happened at the bank?"

While the boys explained what happened, Hermione ran upstairs to change out of her soaked clothes. She quickly changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and a denim jacket and threw on some dry socks and shoes before braiding her wet hair into a loose braid. She threw some extra necessities into her bag before going back downstairs.

When she returned to the living room, Harry looked much better while Draco and Ron looked like they were about to explode. "I swear I could kill that goblin." Draco said darkly.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Malfoy, but that won't be happening anytime soon." Harry said, the first time he had spoken since the lake.

"What are you talking about?" the blonde asked.

"Griphook's dead."

Hermione stopped short. "What?"

"He knows. Voldemort knows we're hunting horcruxes. He knows we broke into Gringotts and that we have the cup. He went on a rampage and killed many people, Griphook included."

"What happened to the sword? The little cretin had it when we last saw him." Draco asked ignoring the disapproving look Hermione was giving him.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see it."

"Well that's great. That was our only chance of destroying the bloody thing and now it's gone!" Ron said exasperated.

"We'll figure something else out. Push comes to shove, we'll use Fiendfyre again. But there's more." The three looked at him expectantly. "He's heading to Hogwarts. Now. He intends to destroy the school."

"Then we need to get there before he does." Hermione said. "Go and change as quickly as possible. The sooner we get to the school, the better."

Immediately all four went upstairs to their respective rooms to change. Hermione was shuffling through the drawers in the room getting more and more frantic by the minute. "Where the hell did I put that damn thing?"

"What are you looking for?" Draco asked as he pulled a shirt over his head.

"The darkness powder Fred and George gave me for Christmas! It might come in handy."

Draco thought for a moment before going into her bedside table drawer. He moved a couple of her books aside and saw it hiding at the bottom of the drawer. "Found it."

"Oh thank God!" she cried, relieved. Before she could take it out of his hands, though, he placed both of his hands on her shoulders. She looked at him with fearful eyes.

"Hey, I know you're scared, and I am too. But I believe in you. You can do this. You're the smartest witch in our year and I know that you're going to come out of this stronger than ever."

She wiped away a tear that had escaped. "What about you?"

He gave her a small smile and a quick peck on her lips. "I will do everything in my power to be standing next to you when this is all over. Proud and unashamed of my incredibly brilliant girlfriend who helped save the world."

She gave him a sad smile as she laughed nervously. She pulled him in for a hug for reassurance and he kissed her temple. She pulled away, wiped any stray tears from her eyes, stuffed the powder into her bag, grabbed Draco's hand and they walked downstairs to meet Harry and Ron.

As they got the living room, they noticed that Narcissa was standing with them. "Mum, what are you doing?" Draco asked.

"I'm coming with you." she said, simply.

His eyes widened. "Mum, no."

"Yes. Draco, if the Dark Lord is going to Hogwarts, your father should surely be with him. I'm going to see if I can change his views and get him to come to our side."

"Mum, he's beyond help."

Narcissa shook her head. "No one's ever beyond help, sweetheart."

Draco's breath caught in his throat as he realized she was referring to him. Draco was lost, alone, and desperate. He was spiraling down a dark hole with no end and no way out. And then, suddenly, out of that darkness came a light. A light so bright, it lit up his world of darkness completely. That light brought him back to life and showed him what it meant to love and be loved. He looked at Hermione, his light, and squeezed her hand as he understood why his mother was so determined to save his father. He'd seen the same look in Hermione's eyes when he met her at the cafe all those months ago.

Looking back to his mother, he nodded. "Fine."

"We're going to apparate to Hogsmeade since the school is probably blocked." Harry said.

They all nodded as they all grabbed each other's hands and apparated out of the house into the heart of the war.

* * *

The second they apparated into Hogsmeade, a loud alarm sounded off alerting snatchers and Death Eaters of their presence. "Run!" Harry said. They all took off to find a place to hide. They ended up behind a set of fallen over tables underneath a patio where a restaurant used to reside. They tried to breathe as quietly as possible as the snatchers got closer to them. Just as Hermione sensed a presence next to the table she was hiding behind, the alarm sounded off again and the snatchers took off in a different direction screaming Harry's name.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief before grabbing Draco's hand and taking off with Ron, Harry, and Narcissa to find a way into the school. They ran down an alley but found it to be a dead end. Harry was about to turn around and run in the other direction but a voice stopped him.

"In _here, _Potter!"

Harry turned to the voice to find a tall man with a large gray beard and dark eyes staring at him from a tavern door. He didn't question the man as he ran inside the building, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Narcissa following close behind. They followed a small hallway into a small living room with a table lit by a couple of candles and a large portrait of a young girl with sweet brown eyes. Hermione and Ron looked at each other as soon as they got into the room.

"Did you see-" Ron asked.

"I know; Dumbledore." Hermione replied.

Right on cue, the older man who had rescued them walked into the room and looked directly at Harry. "You're a fool for coming here, Potter."

Before Harry could retort, a small noise was made behind him. He turned around to find a small house elf with a long scarf and a knitted hat on his head. His large eyes grew bigger as he looked at the person standing in front of him. "Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby said hugging Harry's legs. "It is a pleasure to see Mr. Potter again! And Miss Hermione and Mr. Ron! How wonderful it is to see you again!" Dobby's smile quickly faded, however, as his eyes set on his former masters: Draco and Narcissa. His eyes showed fear at first, but quickly changed to confusion as he saw Hermione embrace Draco and he didn't push her away. If anything, Draco seemed to welcome her touch and wrapped a protective arm around her. His brows furrowed and he looked at Harry who shook his head. "Long story. Shortened version is Malfoy and Narcissa are fighting for our side." He looked back to the old man. "We need to get into Hogwarts."

The old man scoffed. Harry furrowed his brows but Hermione interrupted him as he began to speak. "You're Aberforth. Dumbledore's brother." It wasn't a question.

The old man looked at her and nodded. He looked back to Harry. "What the hell are you doing here, Potter? You have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be here?"

"We need to get into the school. We know how to defeat the Dark Lord. Your brother, he told me how." Harry explained.

Aberforth scoffed. "'Defeat the Dark Lord.' Haven't you figured it out yet? You're fighting a losing battle. He can't be defeated! Turn around and run while you can!"

"No! I will not let other people die while they try to protect me! We know how to defeat Voldemort! Dumbledore showed me how. We just need to get access to the school."

"Don't you get it Potter? My brother sent you on a goose chase! He was so wrapped up in defeating the Dark Lord that he didn't care _who _got thrown in the crossfire. That includes you!"

"That's not true," Hermione defended. "Dumbledore loved Harry!"

"That's the problem, Ms. Granger." Aberforth said, looking at her with sad eyes. "Bad things happen to the people that my brother loves and the people that love him." His eyes darkened as he looked back at Harry. "You only know what you _want_ to know about my brother, Potter. You don't know the real story."

Harry glared at him. "What real story?"

Aberforth sighed and shook his head. "Sit down, Potter. You want to know the truth, I'll give you the truth."

* * *

The room was silent as Aberforth finished his story. Hermione was biting her nail and holding back tears. Her hand was on Narcissa's shoulder who was holding on to her hand for both their comfort. Draco and Ron were silent as they contemplated everything that had been said while Dobby sat silently next to Harry who was feeling a variety of emotions from anger, heartbreak, and confusion.

"You see why I think you should run?" Aberforth said quietly.

Harry was silent. Then he shook his head and stood up. "No. No, I won't run."

"Damn it, boy! Stop being so stubborn and do the smart thing! Get out of here!"

"The smart thing isn't the same thing as the right thing! I will go to my grave trying to protect everyone I can. If I can end this war, I will do everything in my power to do so!"

"It's a suicide mission!"

"So be it!"

The room fell back into silence at Harry's last words. Hermione took in a sharp breath and Narcissa strengthened her grip on her hand. Ron looked shocked while Draco kept his stoic facade while he wanted to scream at Harry. _Don't be stupid, Potter! _he wanted to yell, but stayed silent instead. Dobby gripped Harry's arm and looked up at him scared but Harry didn't look away from Aberforth.

The elder gentleman sighed and dropped his head. "You're a good kid, Potter." he said, lifting his head. "For your sake, I hope you do succeed. And I hope you survive." He looked to the girl in the portrait. "You know what to do." She nodded and walked off into the unknown.

"Where did you send her?" Hermione asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." He said, standing up and beginning to walk out of the room.

"That's Ariana, right?" Hermione said. "Your sister."

Aberforth nodded. He looked at Harry one more time before looking to Dobby. "You going with them?" The elf nodded. "Very well. Be careful out there," he said as he walked out of the room. It was unclear who he was directing that warning to.

As soon as Aberforth was gone, Hermione rounded her gaze on Harry. "Did you have to be so hard on him? He did save our lives after all."

Harry said nothing as he got distracted by the portrait. The other four turned their attention to the portrait. "She's coming back." Ron said.

"Who's that with her?" Draco asked.

As if to answer his question, the portrait swung open to reveal a doorway. And in that doorway was none other than Neville Longbottom. "Neville!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hi guys!" Neville said with a grin on his face that fell immediately as he laid eyes on Draco. "Malfoy? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I can explain," Hermione started but then shook her head. "No, there's too much. Let me sum it up: Draco came to me last summer asking for help to get away from the Dark Lord. In the process, we managed to rescue his mother and now both of them are working for the Order. They're on our side, Neville, I promise."

Neville looked to Harry and Ron who nodded in agreement with Hermione. Neville shook his head and smiled at Narcissa and Draco. "Welcome to the Light."

Draco smirked at Neville who nodded his head into the passage behind him. "Come on then. Oh hey Abe, do me a favor and call in backup will you? Something tells me we'll need it."

Aberforth had walked back into the room as the five piled into the passageway and nodded at Neville's request. Then the portrait door closed and they were in darkness until Neville, Ron, and Narcissa held up their wands which were lit to show their path.

While Neville led them through the passageway which would lead them to a secret entrance to the school, he brought them up on everything they had missed while they had been gone. He updated them on how everyone had found refuge in the Room of Requirement and was living there now since the rest of the school was miserable. They even had a door that led to the kitchens so they had access to food and the room was impenetrable as long as someone was always in the room. He also brought them up to date on Snape's rule as Headmaster and the Carrows and their teaching methods and how they punished anyone who stood up to them. They all made the connection to Ginny's story as to why she didn't want to expand on the Carrows; they were abusing students and she didn't want to share that. Hermione saw Harry's fist clench at the thought of someone hurting his girlfriend.

Finally, the tunnel came to a dead end as they approached another doorway. Neville pushed it open and everyone was temporarily blinded by the light coming from the other side of the door. Neville stuck his head through the doorway.

"Hey guys! I've got a surprise for you!" he said.

"It's not more of Abe's cooking is it?" a familiar Irish voice said. "'Cause I don't think we can take anymore of it."

Neville chuckled. "No, it's much better." He then jumped down from the doorway to make room for everyone else. Harry was the first to stick his head out.

"Harry!" many people called as they saw him. He smiled and jumped down to greet everyone as Ron and Dobby followed close behind. Hermione turned to Draco and Narcissa. "Stay close to me. Everyone else won't be as forgiving as Neville."

The two nodded before following Hermione out of the hole. As soon as their feet hit the ground, the room became dead silent. Hermione stood in front of Narcissa and Draco, her hand on her wand in her pocket, in case anyone tried to attack. Instead they all just stared at them dumbfounded. Harry and Ron saw the diversion in the attention and quickly joined Hermione in guarding the two Slytherins from any attacks that may be directed towards them.

Finally, Seamus spoke. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he spat to Draco.

"I'm here to help." the Slytherin explained.

Seamus scoffed. "Bullshit!"

"Seamus, he's telling the truth." Harry defended. "Malfoy came to Hermione asking for help to get him and Narcissa away from the Dark Lord. In return, he's been working with Order. He's on our side, Seamus."

Seamus seemed unconvinced. He looked to Neville. "You believe him?"

He nodded. "I trust Harry, Ron, and Hermione. If they trust them, I trust them."

Seamus glared back at Draco. "How do we know that you're not going to trick us and give us all over to the Dark Lord?"

"You don't." Draco admitted. Hermione looked at him confused. "I have nothing to prove to you that I've switched sides. I have no good credit with anyone here because of the things I've done. I can only tell you this: I am on your side and I will fight for your side. Because your side is my side now. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you."

Seamus contemplated what Draco said but before he could respond, a door on the far side of the room opened as Ginny came running in. When she caught site of the group, her eyes filled with relief. "Harry!"

"Ginny!" he said as he caught the redhead as she ran into Harry's arms. Ron looked irritated that his sister had ignored him but dropped the look as Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. Ginny pulled out of the hug and looked to the two blondes behind her boyfriend. "Malfoy? Mrs. Malfoy? What are you doing here?"

"You knew about this Ginny?" Seamus asked incredulously.

Ginny looked to her fellow Gryffindor. "Yeah, Malfoy's been working for the Order for months." Seamus raised his eyebrows as Ginny confirmed Harry's story. He dropped the topic temporarily but was still suspicious of the two Slytherins.

Harry took the silence as an opportunity to explain why they were there. "We know a way to defeat the Dark Lord," he began. He had everyone's attention now. "I can't explain what exactly it is as there's too much but to sum up we're looking for something that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. Her diadem. We think it's somewhere, here, in the castle. Does anyone know where?"

Cho Chang looked sad. "Harry, the diadem is a legend. No one's seen it for at least a century."

"That doesn't mean it's not here, Cho." Luna said, standing next to her.

"Any ideas, Luna?" Harry asked.

"You could check with Helena." she suggested.

Everyone's brows furrowed. "Helena? Who the bloody hell is Helena?" Ron asked.

"Helena Ravenclaw, of course," Luna said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Before anyone could respond, a loud boom sounded somewhere far away. Everyone in the room froze as they realized what that sound meant. Suddenly, Harry grunted in pain and grasped at his scar. "Harry, what is it?" Ginny asked. He grunted. "He's coming. They're in the forbidden forest."

Suddenly a deep throaty whisper sounded in the room. _Harry Potter_, the voice said, _I know you are at Hogwarts. I know what you seek. You will be unsuccessful in your quest. Give up now and give yourself to me. I promise everyone will be spared if you do so. If not, there will be large consequences. You have until midnight. _

The voice faded away but echoed in the room for at least two more minutes. Hermione's stomach dropped. This was it. She looked to Draco who grabbed her hand in reassurance. She gulped and fought the tears that threatened to come out. Now was not the time for fear; now was the time for strength. It was time for the Gryffindor bravery to come out. The pain subsided in Harry's head and he looked out to the crowd in front of him. His classmates. They all looked terrified and he was too. Then he looked to his girlfriend, then to Hermione and Draco, then to Ron, then lastly to Narcissa who had become another mother figure to him in the last few months. She gave him a small nod and he looked back to his audience.

"Remember what we taught you during D.A. meetings," he said. "I believe in you guys. I know you can do it. It is an honor to know you all and to be able to fight with you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I need to find McGonagall. Who knows where she is?"

"I'll take you," Ginny volunteered. Harry nodded before looking to everyone else. "Get the youngest out of here and to safety. I'm going to see what McGonagall can do to stall Voldemort." He turned to Hermione, Draco, Ron, and Narcissa. "Meet me in front of the grand staircase in half an hour." They nodded.

Suddenly the room was in complete commotion. Ginny and Harry took off with the rest of the room following close behind. Dobby bowed to the remaining four before running out of the room to help the other House Elves escape. Narcissa turned to Draco, Hermione, and Ron. "You three stay safe, okay? I have to do something."

"What? Mum, what are you doing?" Draco asked, suddenly very scared for his mother.

"I'm going to find your dad. See if I can turn him around."

"Mum, that's dangerous! Please, don't! Stay with us!"

His mother placed her hands on his shoulders. "I promise I will stay safe. But I made a vow to your father and I will not let that vow die when he needs me most. I have to try to help him." She kissed his forehead. "I'll see you soon, okay?" And before he could respond, she ran out of the room to find Lucius. Draco looked to Ron and Hermione trying to steady his breathing. He was scared but knew that he had some big problems of his own.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"We need to find a way to destroy the cup." Hermione said.

"Hold on," Ron said, "the basilisk fang. Harry destroyed the diary with it, second year. And the sword was covered in basilisk venom because Harry stabbed that blasted snake with the sword." Hermione and Draco looked at him confused. "Don't you get it?" Ron asked, getting excited. "Basilisk venom! We can use that to destroy the horcrux!"

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Ron, that's brilliant!"

The redhead smiled but it was short lived as another boom sounded off. "We should get going!" Hermione said before running out of the room with Ron and Draco following close behind. As they exited the room, all they saw was chaos. People were running around in every direction and a couple people screamed in fear. Before they could run off in a particular direction, Draco heard a familiar voice. "Draco!"

He turned around to find Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinson running towards him. "Blaise! Theo!" Draco yelled. "Pansy!"

The four Slytherins embraced as they were reunited. Blaise pulled back and looked at his best friend. "We thought you were dead! How- what are you doing here?"

Draco shook his head. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

Blaise nodded and grabbed Draco's hand and tried to pull him away. "Pansy, Theo, and I were on our way out of here. The entrance to Hogsmeade is clear. If we leave now, we can get out of here, come on!"

"No, Blaise, I can't!" Draco said pulling his arm out of Blaise's grip.

The three looked at him dumbfounded. "What do you mean you can't?" Pansy asked.

Draco took a step back towards Ron and Hermione. "I'm fighting with the Order. I know it sounds crazy but it's part of that long story. Either way, I'm not running. The Order needs me and I won't back down now when they've done so much to help me." He paused as he looked to Hermione who was nervously looking around her but stayed close to Draco in case she needed to pull him away. He looked back to his two friends. "Fight with us."

"What?" they asked.

"I'm serious. I know it's dangerous and scary but we were always good at fighting together. We're a team, we always have been. You can run away if you want or you can help put Slytherin house into a positive light and fight with us. Your choice."

The trio looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation. Blaise sighed and shook his head before pulling his wand out of his pocket. "I must be out of my mind. I'm in."

Theo pulled out his wand. "Me too."

Pansy pulled out hers and rolling her eyes. "Well there's no way in _hell_ I'm letting you three throw yourselves into the fire without me to drag you back out. I'm in too."

Draco smiled at his three friends in relief. Then he heard Hermione exclaim. He turned around to find the rest of the Weasley clan (including Percy and Charlie) pouring out of the Room of Requirement along with Kingsley, a couple of aurors he didn't recognize and Tonks and Remus. "Dora! What the hell are you doing here?" Draco asked as he ran to his cousin.

"You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun did you?" she replied cheekily.

"But what about Teddy?"

"He's safe at home with my mum."

Draco shook his head. "You shouldn't be here, Dora."

"None of us should. And yet, here we are." Another boom sounded off on the castle, this time much louder and much closer. "I'll see you around, Drake! I need to see where I can help!"

"Dora, wait!" He said, grabbing her arm. She turned to her cousin and was surprised when he pulled her in for a hug but returned the gesture. "Be careful, okay?" he said. She nodded and smiled. "You too." Then she ran off with Lupin by her side and immediately the rest of the Order dispersed in different directions leaving just the four Slytherins and the two Gryffindors. Hermione looked at her watch.

"Shit! We've got to meet Harry!" She grabbed Draco's hand and ignored Blaise, Theo, and Pansy's confused expressions. "Stay close to us!" she commanded before running off with Draco right beside her. Ron and the Slytherins followed close behind, the latter three trying to comprehend what exactly had happened with Draco. They came to a halt in front of the grand staircase and saw Harry running towards them.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked as he approached the group.

"With the twins," Harry replied breathlessly. "Where's Dobby and Narcissa?"

"Dobby went to help the other House Elves escape and Narcissa went to find Lucius." Hermione explained. Harry nodded. It was then that he noticed the three new additions to the group. "What?"

"They're with me," Draco explained. Harry didn't question the blonde.

"Right," he said, changing the subject, "McGonagall and the other professors are setting up a shield charm to protect the school and Neville and Seamus are setting up bombs on the bridge. If and when that shield goes down, they're going to blow up the bridge so stay away from that area. Hermione, Ron, go find a way to destroy the cup. Draco, try and get as many people out of here as you can. Set up protection spells too, if you can. I told McGonagall that you were on our side and she's going to spread the word to the other professors so they know not to attack you."

Draco nodded in thanks. "What about you?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to talk to Helena Ravenclaw." Harry said. "See if she has any information on the diadem." Harry looked behind them and saw Luna running up the stairs. "Stay safe and I'll see you soon! Hey, Luna! Wait up!" He took off running after the blonde Ravenclaw.

Draco and Hermione looked to each other. He pulled her in to give her a kiss. He kissed her passionately, scared that it might be the last one that they shared. He had to hope that he would see her again, _alive_. He put everything he had into that kiss, making sure she knew how much he cared about her. But just in case... "I love you," he said, as they pulled out of the kiss. If this was the last time they were going to see each other, he wanted those to be the last words he said to her.

"I love you too." she said, squeezing his hand one last time before running off with Ron to the Chamber of Secrets.

Draco looked to Blaise, Theo and Pansy whose jaws had dropped when they saw their best friend kiss Hermione freaking Granger! "It's part of the long story!" Draco yelled frustrated. "I'll explain everything later! Come on!" He took off running towards the Slytherin common room to get any kids hiding in there out. His friends followed closely.

"Draco, I don't understand!" Pansy said. "You and the mudblood? How?"

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Pansy. "Don't call her that," he said darkly. He looked to the three of them to make sure they all got the message. "Like I said, it's a long story but one thing that you need to understand is if it weren't for her, I'd be dead. She saved me. After all the shit I pulled and said to her, she still found it in her heart to not only forgive me but to love me. _Me._ Draco bloody Malfoy, the boy who fucked up majorly and didn't deserve a second chance. She gave me one anyway. It's because of her that I'm a member of the Order and that I'm even alive. Remember that the next time you want to call her a mudblood." And with that, he turned on his heel and ran towards the common room.

The three Slytherins looked at each other confused. They shrugged to each other and just decided to make Draco tell them everything when this was all over before running after him to help out where they could.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron had found their way back to the Chamber of Secrets. They stood in front of the door that could only be opened by Parseltongue. Lucky for Hermione, Ron knew how to open the door. She looked at her best friend confused as he whispered something in Parseltongue and the door began to unlock. Ron looked to Hermione.

"Harry talks in his sleep," he explained. "Haven't you noticed?"

Hermione chuckled. "No, not really."

The redhead shrugged as he walked into the Chamber. They walked into the large open space and Hermione gasped as she saw the large skeleton of what was once the basilisk that petrified her when she was thirteen. She got a chill as she looked around the room and thought about what happened here but shook it off quickly. Ron walked over to the skeleton and broke off a fang as Hermione pulled the cup out of her bag. She laid it on the ground as Ron walked over to her. He handed her the fang.

"You do it," he said.

She shook her head. "Me? N-no, I can't."

"Yes you can." he encouraged.

Hermione took a deep breath and took the fang into her hand. Ron held down the cup as she raised her arm and swung down to stab the cup. She made a direct hit. The cup spun out of control as a force of wind started to blow towards them. Suddenly a large dark cloud rose out of the cup and suddenly, the face of Voldemort appeared. Hermione screamed as she saw it but it vanished quickly. The cup jumped once and then the wind, the cloud, and the spinning stopped. They looked at the cup and found it bent at multiple angles with a large hole in the middle of it from the fang. It had been destroyed. Only two left. Ron grabbed a couple more basilisk fangs to keep on them before they ran out of the chamber to find Harry.


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Get ready for a pre-feels trip (I'm just warning you now especially since the next chapter is full of feels). Hope you guys are having a good week! Also, I just realized that I have over 200 followers on his story! Holy crap on a cracker, you guys are awesome! Thanks for all the love!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

As Ron and Hermione resurfaced to the main floor, they saw that many of the corridors were empty now but they could hear yelling and screaming coming from a few corridors away. There were some loud booms and the ground felt like it was shaking occasionally. Hermione and Ron ran to the window to see what was going on. The protective shield was down, the bridge had been destroyed and spells were flying left and right.

The fighting had started.

Hermione wanted to stay and help the others fight but Ron dragged her into the opposite direction and pulled out the Marauder's Map that Harry had slipped into Hermione's bag the night of his rescue from the Dursley's. They looked at it and saw a variety of names on the map but not the one they were looking for. Then, Harry's name popped up on the map. He was near the Room of Requirement. The two took off toward that direction.

As they got there, the door was still visible. They pushed the doors open to find the room that they had entered the school in was gone and replaced with a large room with piles of random objects _everywhere_. "Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Over here!" he replied. Hermione and Ron followed the sound of his voice and found him standing in front of a large pile of furniture. He was clutching his forehead in pain as he looked to the top of the very precarious pile. "It's up there," he said.

Hermione and Ron looked up. "Great." Ron said. "How do we get up there without getting killed by everything falling over?"

"We're going to have to climb." Harry said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Just trust me on this. Keep an eye on anything below my feet that slips."

The two nodded as Harry began to crawl up the pile. He moved carefully as he watched his footing and made sure he didn't step on something that was loose. He reached up to grab something to pull himself up but accidentally knocked down a chair. As the chair fell, suddenly a flurry of grindylows flew out from the middle of the pile. Harry yelped in surprise but it didn't last long as they just flew away instead of swarming around him and causing problems. He didn't bother to ponder over it much as his scar started to hurt again. He looked up and found a large box that was causing his scar to hurt. He ignored the pain as he reached for the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful tiara with a large sapphire in the middle, with the head of an eagle on top of it and small diamonds that surrounded the sapphire with a larger diamond that dangled on what would be someone's forehead.

Holding the diadem in one hand, Harry carefully descended the pile and jumped down when he was close enough to the ground. He showed it Hermione and Ron but was distracted by a new voice in the room. "Well, well, well." the voice said.

The trio looked up to find Draco's old cronies Crabbe and Goyle standing in front of them with their wands raised. They hadn't changed much over the years, they were both still chubby and both still had baby faces that didn't match the rest of their moderately bulky build. Both were sneering at the Gryffindors. "The Dark Lord will be very pleased with what we found, don't you think Goyle?" Crabbe said.

Goyle merely nodded and continued to sneer. "Now, why don't you hand that over and save yourself the fuss and just come with us quietly to the Dark Lord?" Crabbe suggested.

"You know you don't have to do this," Hermione tried to reason with them.

Goyle chuckled. "Actually, yes, we do."

He sounded nothing like Draco had the night of the Astronomy Tower. Draco had been scared and looking for a way out. Crabbe and Goyle sounded confident and proud to be working for Voldemort. As if they were proud of the monsters they had become. Hermione barely contemplated the smug look Goyle was giving her before she saw a flash of green coming towards her. She barely ducked out of the way before Ron sent up a shield charm to protect them. The spell fizzled away and Hermione looked to Ron gratefully before he took after Crabbe and Goyle who were now running away from the redhead.

Hermione pulled out a basilisk fang from her bag to stab the diadem but was distracted by Ron's screaming. He came fleeing back towards them, grabbed both of their hands and took off in the opposite direction. "Goyle set the bloody place on fire!" Suddenly, Hermione and Harry could feel the heat coming from the fire that was quickly lighting up everything in it's path. The trio ran into a small opening amongst the piles of objects but immediately were trapped as the wall of flames blocked their exit. They looked around for an escape when Ron noticed a couple of brooms lying on the ground. Ron grabbed one and tossed the other to Harry. Both boys mounted their brooms and Hermione climbed on behind Ron and they rose above the flames. They flew towards the exit while looking for Crabbe and Goyle down below but they couldn't be found. Hermione assumed they had perished in the flames and her heart tightened as she thought she'd have to tell Draco.

They flew faster towards the exit and as the doors opened, Harry and Ron came to a halt as they found themselves back in the hallway in front of the room. Hermione dropped off Ron's broom and stabbed the diadem with a fang before Harry kicked it back into the fire. Voldemort's face appeared in the fire briefly before the doors to the Room of Requirement closed. Harry grunted in pain as he saw Voldemort react to feeling the diadem be destroyed. He saw the Dark Lord gather Nagini and then apparate to the Shrieking Shack where he saw Snape and Lucius waiting for him.

Harry gasped as he was released from the vision. "I know where Nagini is!" he exclaimed. The three immediately took off to the Shrieking Shack. As they got closer to the school entrance, they encountered absolute chaos. Spells were flying back and forth, students and teachers were fighting Death Eaters at all ends, and it was only getting worse. Giants, dementors, and more Death Eaters were storming the school. As the trio forced their way through the chaos, avoiding stray spells and stunning anyone who tried to attack them, Hermione briefly saw a head of platinum blonde hair. She got a glimpse of Draco and saw that he was fighting a couple of Death Eaters with Pansy, Theo, and Blaise at his side. She wanted to run to help him but kept up with Ron and Harry as they made their way outside of the school. They encountered a large amount of dementors as they exited but suddenly a bright light pushed them back. They turned around and saw Aberforth sending his patronus to the dementors and ran away from them as the dementors were temporarily distracted.

When they got to the Whomping Willow, they crawled through the entrance at the base of the tree and found their way into the shack. They heard muffled voices and followed the sound but hid in a room next to the one the voices were in. They listened closely and heard Voldemort and Snape talking. Lucius didn't seem to be in the shack anymore.

"You disappoint me, Severus." Voldemort said.

"What have I done to disappoint you, my Lord?" Snape said, careful with his words.

"You have lied to me on more than one occasion."

"I don't follow, my Lord."

"I know the Malfoy boy is alive, Severus." Hermione's breath caught in her throat. "I also know that he has been working with the Order. And I know that you knew. However, it is no matter; I will deal with him personally. As for you, you have betrayed me, Severus. And I do not handle betrayal well."

Snape was silent. "No words to defend yourself?" Voldemort taunted. "Typical. You're weak. And a traitor. You always have been. And for that you must pay. _Sectumsempra_."

Snape grunted and then made a loud thump as he hit the floor. Harry wanted to move but Ron but a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Nagini," Voldemort said, "kill." They heard the snake hiss and then begin to attack Snape as he groaned in pain. Hermione put her hand over her mouth to muffle her whimpering as Harry and Ron closed their eyes, wishing it wasn't really happening. Nagini only attacked Snape for less than a minute and then she backed off. Voldemort chuckled. "Come Nagini, we have work to do."

As soon as Voldemort and Nagini apparated out of the shack, the trio ran to Snape's aid, only it was too late. He was too badly injured that any healing they might have tried wouldn't have saved him in time. Harry crouched down next to Snape who was crying. He tried to put pressure on some of the wounds but it was no use. "T-take them!" Snape whispered, motioning to his tears. "T-take t-them to the p-pensieve."

"Give me a flask or something, quickly!" Harry told Hermione. She pulled a small vial out of her bag and gave it to Harry who put it next to Snape's eyes as the tears fell into the vial. When he had enough, he covered the vial and looked back at Snape, tears forming in his own eyes. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Snape barely shook his head as his breathing was growing slower and weaker. He looked at Harry. "You have your mother's eyes," was the last thing he said.

And then Severus Snape was dead.


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: Welcome to the feels chapter! I actually cried writing this chapter so I apologize in advance for the possible tears that you might shed. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

"We need to move the body out of here," Hermione said. Harry nodded and put the vial in his pocket. Before he could find a way to pick up Snape though, Voldemort's voice appeared in the room.

_Harry Potter, _the voice said, _you have allowed your friends to die for you instead of facing me yourself. I expected more of you. If you wish for no more of your friends to die, meet me in the Forbidden Forest to face your inevitable death. As for everyone else, you have fought bravely. I withdraw my followers and allow you time to put your dead and injured at rest. I promise, Harry Potter, that if you come to me, no one else will be harmed. You have one hour._

And then the voice was gone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at each other for a moment in silence. Hermione was the first to speak. "Draco," she whispered in fear. That brought the boys back to life. Harry and Ron picked up Snape and carried him out of the shack and out of the tunnel with Hermione following close behind. As soon as they got him out of the tree, the boys readjusted their hold on Snape and carried him into the castle.

As they reached the Great Hall, Hermione almost fell in grief from what she saw. There were casualties everywhere. One half of the Great Hall was for the injured where they were getting healed by Madam Pomfrey and some other professors while the other half was for the deceased. Ron and Harry carried Snape to an empty space and laid him down. The trio took one last look at their former professor before going to find people they knew. Neville, Seamus, Luna, Blaise, Theo, Pansy, and a variety of others were on the injured side getting their wounds healed but there was no sign of Draco. Hermione looked to the casualties and saw Lavender Brown and Colin Creevey amongst the dead but, still, no Draco. She almost gave a sigh of relief before she saw the Weasley clan huddled in the far back of the Great Hall sobbing.

"Ron," she said, pulling the redhead's attention to his family. They immediately walked towards the rest of the Weasley family but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who they were crying over.

Lying on a small cot, pale as a sheet, was Fred.

Ron choked as he saw his older brother dead on the ground. He timidly walked forward and began to sob as he reached his family. George saw his baby brother and immediately pulled him into a tight hug as they cried for their brother. Hermione walked over and comforted Ginny who ran into her best friend's arms shaking and crying. Harry walked slowly to the Weasleys but stopped short when something caught his eye.

He looked down and saw that Dobby was on a cot. Tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he dropped to his knees next to the small elf. "Oh Dobby," he whispered, "I'm so sorry." He bowed his head in respect for the small elf and conjured him a small pair of socks and rested it under Dobby's hands before taking a deep breath and getting up to continue to walk through the hall. Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to his right and found none other than Draco. Hermione must have missed him when she saw the Weasleys.

Draco's head was bowed and his shoulders were slumped in sadness. Harry approached him and saw who he was looking at. His breath caught in his throat as he saw who it was: Remus and Tonks. Harry put a hand on Draco's shoulder but the blonde didn't move. "I'm so sorry, mate." Harry said. "They were such good people."

Draco let out a shaky breath. "They just had a baby," he said as his voice cracked.

Harry nodded. Draco finally looked at him. "What am I going to tell Andy?"

Harry looked at him and fought the tears. "Tell her that her daughter died fighting so her son could live in a better world."

Draco ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about Fred and Dobby," he said. "I know you were close with them."

Harry swallowed hard. "Draco, I'm sorry to say that they're not the only ones we lost. Snape and Crabbe and Goyle are gone too."

Draco paled. "What?" his voice cracking.

"Crabbe and Goyle set the Room of Requirement on fire while we were retrieving the diadem. They didn't make it out." Harry explained as he led Draco to where Snape was lying. He sighed as he thought of his two friends who had perished. He shook his head in sadness. As they reached Snape, he choked back a sob as he looked at his godfather. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before opening his eyes again. "Did… _he _do it?"

Harry nodded. "He knows you're alive too. I don't know how but he does. He's going to kill you, Malfoy."

Draco looked at Harry. "Then we better kill him first," he said, darkly. Voldemort had taken so much from him already: his father, his youth, two of his friends and now, Snape. Losing his godfather was the last straw. That monster was going to die long before Draco would; he decided that then and there. Sensing this, Harry pulled out the vial of Snape's tears from his pocket. Draco raised an eyebrow at the vial but Harry just shook his head. "Follow me."

Draco complied as Harry led him through the castle. They walked past the large gargoyle and continued into the Headmaster's office. Harry walked over to the pensieve and poured the tears into it. "These were Snape's. He told me to take them here. Care to join me?" Harry explained.

Draco nodded and stuck his head into the pensieve with Harry and was immediately transported to a time long past. They saw Snape's memories: he and Harry's mother, Lily, as children, their time at Hogwarts, Snape begging Dumbledore to hide the Potters so Voldemort wouldn't find them, the night Lily and James were killed, and the many conversations Snape and Dumbledore had. One particular conversation that stuck out was one with Snape and Dumbledore in the very room they were standing in talking about Harry himself. They heard Dumbledore tell Snape that a part of Voldemort lived inside Harry and the only way to kill that part of Voldemort is for Harry to die. Snape looked at Dumbledore horrified as he understood that Lily's boy would die. There would be no choice. His face changed though as Dumbledore explained that there was a chance that Harry could survive. It would depend on Harry but if he was hit with the killing curse, there was a possibility that the horcrux inside Harry would die but he would still live. It was a slim chance of working but Snape calmed at the news.

That was the last thing Draco and Harry saw before the scene in front of them ended and they pulled their heads out of the pensieve. Draco looked at Harry speechless as the latter sat down on the steps that led to Dumbledore's old desk. Draco sat down next to him and waited as Harry contemplated everything they had just seen. Draco needed some time to understand everything as well.

After a few minutes, Harry stood up. "I need to go to the Forbidden Forest."

"What?" Draco asked, standing up. "Are you insane? That's exactly what Voldemort wants!"

"And I'm going to give it to him. Voldemort won't be fully dead until I am. Besides, you heard Dumbledore, there's a chance that I could live through the killing curse!"

"Dumbledore was a lunatic! And so are you if you think you'll survive!"

"Don't be so quick to judge, Mr. Malfoy," a new voice said. "I was not lying when I said that Harry could possibly survive the killing curse."

Harry and Draco looked to the source of the voice and saw Dumbledore staring at them through his portrait that now hung above what used to be his desk. "How do you know this, Professor?" Harry asked.

The old man shrugged. "The source is not important. What is important, is that you succeed. I do believe that there is a way to survive the curse but you must fight it, Harry. You must fight it with all that you have. Only then do you have a chance of survival."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath as he pulled out the invisibility cloak out of his jacket and threw it over himself. He had stuffed it in his jacket when they changed back at Grimmauld Place. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. Draco looked back and forth between the portrait and Harry before shaking his head and groaning. He grabbed the other half of the cloak and threw it over himself.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Going with you," Draco grumbled. "To make sure this actually works." _And Hermione would kill me if she knew I let you go alone_, he thought to himself.

Harry bit his lip in contemplation before shrugging. He wouldn't mind the company as he walked to his death. The walk was silent as they made their way through the empty hallways. They could hear sobbing coming from the Great Hall but neither made a move to stop. They continued on to the forest, silence being their only companion. It was even as if Mother Nature knew that it was a sad day as there wasn't a sound in the world. It was dead quiet and Draco hated it.

They made their way deep into the forest before Harry stopped and threw the cloak off of him. Draco took it off himself and held it in his arms. "So this is it," he said. Harry nodded.

"Potter, I- I never thanked you for saving my life back at the bank."

"You would have done the same for me," Harry said.

Draco nodded in agreement. "Yes, I would have. Still, thank you."

"You're welcome," the brunette replied. They were silent for a moment as they contemplated what to say next. Harry spoke first. "Mal- Draco, I just want you to know that over these past few months you have proved yourself in many ways. And through our training, I've grown to trust you and I know Ron has too. I've even began to consider you as my friend. And, I hope, that if we make it out of this, we might be able to continue that friendship."

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You are such a Gryffindor." Harry snorted. "But, if I'm being honest, I've begun to consider you as a friend as well. Weasley too."

Harry smiled. "Well," he put his hand out, "it's been an honor to train with you and to call you my friend."

Draco shook his hand. "You too, Harry."

Harry paused for a moment before taking his wand out of his pocket and handing it to Draco. "Hold on to this for me, will you? I won't be needing it for the time being."

Draco hesitantly took the wand and pocketed it.

Harry turned around to walk away but stopped short and turned back to Draco. "One more thing: c-can you do something for me?" Draco nodded. "I- if I don't make it out of this, tell Ginny that I love her. I haven't had the chance to tell her yet but I want her to know that she was the last thing on my mind before I died."

Draco shook his head. "No. No way."

"Malfoy-"

"No. I'm not going to tell her because you're going to tell her yourself. You're going to survive, you're going to kill Voldemort, and then you're going to tell your girlfriend that you love her."

Harry smirked. "Now, you sound like a Gryffindor."

"It's what I get for hanging out with you lot so much. But I mean it, okay? I'm going to hold you to that."

Harry nodded. "I'll try."

"Try harder."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes before turning back around and beginning to walk deeper into the forest. Draco threw the cloak back over himself and followed Harry quietly. He kept his breathing quiet as they walked. Harry slowed as he approached Voldemort and his group. Draco moved aside and stood between some trees to watch the scene unfold in front of him. His breath hitched, however, as he saw his mother standing with Lucius and Bellatrix. She was looking around her nervously as Bellatrix kept glaring at her but otherwise looked fine. Draco breathed a quiet sigh of relief but held his breath as he saw Harry walk towards Voldemort. He saw Narcissa's eyes widen with fear as she looked at Harry.

"Harry?!" a familiar voice said. Harry looked to find Hagrid tied up amongst the Death Eaters. "No! What are you doing here?!"

Harry said nothing and just stared the Dark Lord down. Voldemort sneered. "Harry Potter. The boy who lived, come to die. Any last words?"

Silence. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Harry. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

A green light flashed and Harry fell to the ground. Draco had to muffle a cry as he watched his old-enemy-turned-friend die. His breathing was shaky and his eyes welled with tears as his mind was screaming. Narcissa was fighting tears and kept her breathing even but her eyes held pain and sorrow as she watched Harry lie on the ground lifeless. "You!" Voldemort said to her. "Check to see if the boy is dead."

Narcissa lifted her chin and nodded before walking to Harry. Draco quietly walked closer to Harry as well, hoping that their theory worked. He and his mother reached Harry at the same time, Draco still a few paces away as to not alert anyone of his presence. He was close enough though to see the small rise and fall of Harry's chest. Narcissa noticed this as she checked his pulse and gasped quietly.

He was alive! Their theory worked and Harry was alive! Draco held back the tears of relief that now threatened to spill over. Narcissa whispered quietly to Harry. "Are you okay? Tap your finger once for yes, twice for no."

He tapped his finger once. "Is- is Draco okay? Is he still alive?" Harry tapped his finger once again. Narcissa let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Stay absolutely still." she told him. She then stood up and faced Voldemort and said one word.

"Dead."


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: So I totally saw the best show tonight called Million Dollar Quartet! It's about Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis and this impromptu jam session they had at Sun Records! It's so good! If you get the chance, go see it! You won't regret it! Anyway, you'll notice some of the dialogue here is from the movie; again, I did that because I had a clearer image of it in my mind than from the books. Just a forewarning. **_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

Draco followed Voldemort and his followers back to the castle, still under the invisibility cloak. He was a few paces behind so no one would be aware that he was there but he could still hear what everyone was saying. Hagrid was carrying Harry in his arms as silent tears ran down his face. Most of the Death Eaters were celebrating as they cackled in joy at Harry Potter's death. Others stayed quiet as they showed no emotion; Voldemort was in between as he had an ugly grin on his face but remained silent. As they walked up to the school, a large crowd began to grow in the courtyard as they met Voldemort halfway. Both groups stopped with a large space in between them that would stand as no man's land. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were in the front row of the large group while Draco spotted Blaise, Pansy, Theo, and Luna in the far back. He maneuvered his way around Voldemort's group to get off to the side and watch, preparing himself in case he needed to intervene.

There was absolute silence as both groups stopped. Voldemort smiled an ugly smile. "Harry Potter is dead!"

"NO!" Hermione and Ginny cried. They tried to run to him but Ron and Mr. Weasley were holding the girls back as their faces expressed the deep pain that they felt. Draco closed his eyes as he wished he could run to Hermione and comfort her. Tell her that Harry wasn't really dead. But he couldn't. He couldn't reveal himself just yet. That time would come, just not yet.

"Insolent fools!" Voldemort bellowed. "Did you really think that a _teenager_ could beat me? ME?! The greatest wizard in all time?! NO! Your hero is dead and now you must answer to me! Join us; and you will be spared! If you do not, you will face my wrath!"

Everyone was silent. Hermione and Ginny had tears running down their face and everyone else stared at Voldemort in silence, challenging him with their eyes but no one bold enough to speak. Finally, Neville limped forward. He was badly beat up and was holding the Sorting Hat for some reason. Voldemort furrowed his brows as the other Death Eaters chuckled at the sight. _What the hell are you doing, Longbottom?_ Draco thought. "Well, I must admit, I had hoped for better," Voldemort said causing the Death Eaters to chuckle again. "And what is your name?" he asked.

"Neville Longbottom," the Gryffindor said quietly.

The Death Eaters laughed, Bellatrix the loudest. Voldemort sneered. "Well, Neville, I'm sure we could find a place for you amongst us."

"I need to say something," Neville said.

Voldemort clenched his fist. "Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be delighted to hear what you have to say."

Neville hesitated before speaking. "It doesn't matter that Harry's gone."

"Stand down, Neville!" Seamus said.

"People die everyday!" Neville replied. Draco suddenly had a flashback of when they received the news that Ted had died and Hermione had slapped Harry. He felt a strong sense of deja vu at the moment. "Everyone we lost today, Tonks, Remus, Harry, Fred, all of them. They all died fighting. They died for us so that we would have a chance to keep fighting and live through this. None of them died in vain." He turned to Voldemort. "But you will. Because you're wrong! Harry died knowing he had friends and love and something to fight for. Not you. You'll die alone and burn in hell for the things you've done!" Neville dropped the Sorting Hat but not before pulling out the sword of Gryffindor out of it. _What the hell?_ Draco thought. He didn't have much time to process it though as he saw Voldemort prepare to send the killing curse towards Neville. Thinking quickly, he sent a shield charm to Neville just in time for the curse to fizzle and saving Neville.

Draco threw the cloak off himself and walked into the middle of no man's land where Neville was standing and the Dark Lord was looking baffled and angry. "If you're going to kill someone, do it when they have a chance to fight you off. Not the cowardly way that you've become accustomed to." Draco said boldly. He stood next to Neville who gave him a quick nod in thanks. Draco barely returned it before he glared at his old master, challenging him with his eyes. His eyes flashed to Harry for a quick moment as he noticed slight movement but focused his attention on Voldemort. If Harry was going to show that he was alive, Draco hoped that he could provide a distraction to the Dark Lord until he got Harry his wand.

Voldemort's lip quirked. "It's a lucky day for you, Lucius. You get your wife and your son back on the same day. Forgive me if I don't spare the latter." Draco didn't lose eye contact with Voldemort as he prepared to shield himself from the killing curse that was about to hit him. "_Avada Keda-_"

"NO!" Narcissa and Hermione screamed. Narcissa grabbed Voldemort's wand arm and pointed his arm to a large piece of rubble at the last minute causing the rock to be incinerated and saving Draco's life. Voldemort screamed in anger and backhanded Narcissa hard enough that she was knocked to the ground.

Suddenly, all Draco saw was red. No one hurt his mother. _No one._ He immediately became full of rage that he hardly noticed more movement coming from where Hagrid was standing. Before Draco could do anything, however, Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms and began to run towards him. Draco immediately snapped out of his rage filled thoughts and pulled out Harry's wand. "Potter!" he said, tossing it to him. Harry caught it in mid-air and threw a spell to Nagini who dodged it but slithered away from her master.

Right as Draco had said Harry's name, Voldemort and the Death Eaters (who had been staring dumbfounded for a moment) came back to life and immediately sent spells to the two boys. Draco threw up a shield protecting them as they continued to run out of the courtyard. Everyone else immediately began to throw spells at one another as they all realized that Harry wasn't dead after all. Many people retreated back to the Great Hall to move the bodies of the dead, Harry and Draco included. "Neville!" Harry said when he spotted his fellow Gryffindor running into the Great Hall. "Find the snake and kill her! It's the only way we'll be able to destroy Voldemort." he commanded. Neville nodded and ran off in the direction he saw the snake head to. Harry turned to Draco. The blonde shook his head before Harry spoke. "I've got it covered down here. Go kill that bastard once and for all!" he said. Harry nodded and ran off to face the Dark Lord. He helped move some more of the bodies before helping out those fighting the Death Eaters.

All hell had broken loose. Spells were coming twice as fast and twice as hard from both sides. Draco hadn't been more thankful for Hermione's training and Narcissa's advice than in that moment. Theo was fighting off a couple of Death Eaters in the entryway with Seamus and Draco was currently helping Ron as he fought his uncle Rastaban. He didn't care that he was fighting his family, all he cared about was defeating the Dark Lord and his followers once and for all. He and Ron made an excellent team as they defended one another while continuing to send spell after spell at Rastaban. Finally, Ron managed to knock Rastaban unconscious and he and Draco enchanted some ropes to tie around him before running off to help anyone else.

As for Hermione, she was holding her own pretty well. She was fighting two Death Eaters at once and she could see that they were getting worn out quicker than she was. Suddenly, a red flash hit one of the Death Eaters and knocked him unconscious before she did the same to the other one. She looked to where the flash had come from and saw that it was from none other than Pansy Parkinson. Hermione didn't question the help she received from the Slytherin as she saw another Death Eater coming up from behind Pansy. Hermione stunned him and smirked as he fell and hit his head on the floor knocking him unconscious. The two girls immediately became a team as they fought together like they had been fighting for years. It felt natural and they were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Ginny had barely escaped the killing curse, courtesy of Bellatrix, and tried to help Luna who had been knocked unconscious by getting hit with a strong stunning spell. Bellatrix advanced on the two girls before she was intercepted by two women: Molly Weasley and Narcissa. Bellatrix sneered at the redhead and her sister and didn't bother to say a word to either as she began to throw curses at the two women. Narcissa and Molly fought hard to keep Bellatrix at bay but discovered quickly that it was harder than it looked. Narcissa knew Bellatrix's weak spot, however, and threw a hex at her that disoriented her for a moment. Molly took the final shot and hit Bellatrix directly in the heart that caused the woman to disintegrate. As Narcissa watched her sister die, she felt no remorse. Bellatrix was no longer the woman she could call her sister; she had become a monster with no control and had to be stopped. Still, _Rest in peace, dear sister_, Narcissa thought. She and Molly turned around to help Luna and Ginny but found that Blaise had helped move Luna out of harm's way. The two women ran to the group to assess the damage.

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound that caused everyone in the room to pause. Less than a minute had passed before the roof collapsed and Harry and Voldemort came falling through, landing on the floor in the middle of the Great Hall. Both men stood up and began to circle each other like two lions about to fight over a kill as everyone watched in anticipation and amazement at what was happening.

"Give it up, Tom!" Harry yelled, using Voldemort's real name. "It's over! There's nothing left! Every horcrux you've made has been destroyed, including the one inside me!"

"That's a matter of circumstance," Voldemort hissed. "I can always create more after I destroy you."

"Don't you get it?!" Harry exclaimed. "You create any more horcruxes, there will be nothing left of you to split! You have hardly anything left of your soul! Use what little of it that is left and stop this useless fighting! Find some humanity! Stop while you can!"

"NO!" Voldemort bellowed. "I am the greatest Dark Lord that has ever lived and I will continue to live forever! Nothing can stop me!"

"Except this," Harry said. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's. Harry pointed the wand to it's owner and cast the killing curse on him. The green flash hit the Dark Lord and he immediately dropped to the floor, lifeless.

Harry's shoulders relaxed as he dropped Voldemort's wand and breathed a sigh of relief.

Voldemort was dead and the world, wizard and muggle, was finally safe.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Alright guys, quick thing: I'm going out of town on Thursday for a wedding this weekend so I won't be able to post a new chapter until Monday. Sorry! On the bright side: I turn 20 on Thursday! Woo! So that's exciting! Anyway, that's all for now. **_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

Draco was still in shock. It was over. It was really over. The Dark Lord was gone for good. And he had survived. He almost jumped for joy at that realization. Almost.

Any Death Eaters left that hadn't already been apprehended during the battle either fled or turned themselves in to Kingsley and the other Aurors. Kingsley had been named interim Minister of Magic for the time being (although everyone was sure he would become the new Minister as the world began to recover). Theo was amongst a group of others getting any injuries he had left healed. Harry was sitting with the Weasleys, holding Ginny tightly, as he smiled in relief. Ron was also with his family but Hermione was no where to be found. Draco knew she was alive, he had seen her during the battle, but after it ended she vanished. He wasn't sure what had happened to her. He wanted to find her but Narcissa told him to be patient.

Draco was sitting at a table with Pansy and his parents as they looked around them. Lucius had defected at the last minute and had come to the Light side but Draco and Narcissa knew it wouldn't be enough to save him. He had done too much damage this time to get away with claiming that he was one of the good guys. He and Narcissa were holding hands and leaning on each other for support but he and Draco hadn't said a word to each other. Narcissa wanted to get the two to talk but decided against it for the time being. There would be time for the two to reconcile. She hoped.

Draco looked around the Great Hall and cocked his head in surprise as he saw Blaise and Luna chatting happily. She had a bit of a dazed look in her eye, that wasn't new, but Blaise was smiling a genuine smile and seemed to be interested in what the young girl was saying. He nudged Pansy and directed her attention to the pair. She cocked her head to the side. "Huh. Who'd of thought that Blaise would hit it off with Lovegood." She looked to Draco. "Granted, who'd of thought that you'd fall for Granger. You still owe me that story, you know."

Draco nodded and chuckled. "I know and I'll tell you, Theo, and Blaise later. Just not right now. I don't have the energy or the will to share that long of a story right now." Pansy chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"Draco," Narcissa said. He looked to his mother to find her and Lucius looking to the entrance of the Great Hall. She looked at Draco and nodded towards where she was looking. He followed her line of sight and gasped. Hermione and Neville had just walked in helping Seamus over to the table where the injured were and sat him down to get him help for his leg that had been badly injured during the battle. As soon as Hermione helped him sit down, her head shot up to look for Draco in the hall. As soon as their eyes met, Draco felt his heart skip a beat and stood up.

She began to walk towards him and he did the same. They were about halfway to each other when she broke out into a run and jumped into his arms. He tightened his hold on her as soon as his arms were around her and buried his face into her shoulder. Both were sweaty, sore, exhausted, and smelled like dust and smoke but they were alive. They had survived. And they were together. Hermione broke down into tears as she held on to Draco with all her might. "I was so sure I had lost you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

He kissed her temple. "No way. I told you we'd make it out of this." He pulled back and looked at her as he wiped away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere."

She gave him a weak smile. "Neither am I."

And then he kissed her. He kissed her as if he'd never kissed her before. It was loving and tender but passionate and electric at the same time. He conveyed all the feelings he'd never been able to put into words into the kiss. He confessed how much he loved her, that she was his world, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and grow old with her. He confessed how grateful he was that she had saved his life and never gave up on him. Every emotion he felt but couldn't say was put into that kiss and knew by the look that she gave him afterwards that she had understood.

He pulled her in for another hug and kissed the top of her head. He happened to look around him and saw many people staring at the two, confusion written all over their faces. Even a few professors seemed unsure about what they had just witnessed. He looked to the Weasleys and saw each of them smiling at the couple. He looked to Blaise who had a small smirk on his face and to Theo who just rolled his eyes.

As he and Hermione walked back to the table, Narcissa stood up and smiled at Hermione. The brunette let go of Draco only to run into his mother's open arms. The blonde smiled at the sight in front of him. Hermione and Narcissa had grown close very quickly over the short time that she was in Grimmauld Place and he couldn't be happier to know that his mother liked the girl he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. Lucius watched the encounter in front of him with an expressionless face and said nothing as Narcissa raised an eyebrow to him after she and Hermione pulled out of their embrace.

Hermione walked back to Draco who was now standing with Pansy. She smiled at the Slytherin. "Thanks for helping me out," she said.

Pansy smirked. "Well, you're not a bad fighter Granger. Well done holding your own out there." Hermione smiled at her and Pansy's smirk grew into a full smile as well. Draco smirked at the scene unfolding in front of him but didn't miss the way that Pansy's eyes seemed to shift back and forth between them and something across the room. Or was it some_one_? Draco followed her line of sight and saw Ron watching Pansy curiously. The blonde did a double take as he realized that she was _checking out_ Ron!

He choked back a laugh. Pansy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just…" he looked back at Ron who was looking away sheepishly now before looking back to Pansy whose eyes widened as she realized he saw what she had been looking at, "I didn't peg you as a girl who liked redheads."

She shrugged. "It's a new day. Who knows what'll happen."

Hermione caught on quickly and giggled. "I can introduce you if you want?" she offered.

Pansy looked at her in surprise and vigorously shook her head. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" Hermione asked. "You said it yourself, it's a new day. Anything can happen."

"Yeah but I wasn't exactly the nicest to him when we were in school."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Pansy and looked at Draco before looking back to her. "And you think he was?" she asked pointing to her boyfriend.

Draco furrowed his brows at her as Pansy laughed. "I supposed you're right."

Hermione smiled and offered her hand to Pansy. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

Pansy hesitated briefly before taking Hermione's hand and letting the brunette lead her to Ron. Draco smirked, watching in amusement as one of his best friends got introduced to his girlfriend's best friend. He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief as he saw them immediately hit it off. "Well that's something you don't see everyday," his mother said behind him, referring to Ron and Pansy. "Blaise and Luna too. Looks like you're not the only one who's going against tradition," she ruffled his hair. He grunted as he smoothed his hair back down to normal causing his mother to chuckle.

"Mr. Malfoy," a new voice said. They looked to the source and found Kingsley standing near them. Draco approached the new Minister and shook his outstretched hand. "Thank you for the work you have done for the us and the world. Because you have helped us out so much and proven your allegiance to the Order, you will not be tried and your name will be cleared. You will be able to walk the streets not only as a free man but as a hero. I would give you back your wand, but I know you've had it for a while. I knew the one I had with me was a fake, courtesy of Miss Granger, but I didn't say anything because I trusted her judgement. I see, now, that was the right choice." Draco chuckled and shrugged. Kingsley smiled at the blonde before looking to his mother. "Your name will also be cleared, Narcissa. You won't be tried because you also proved your allegiance to the Order and you aren't even considered an accomplice to the Dark Lord. You will be able to walk free. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for you, Mr. Malfoy," he said, looking at the elder Malfoy now. "Your actions in the war cannot be overlooked. You will be tried and your fate will be determined by the Wizengamot. In the meantime, I must ask you to come with me. You will be taken into custody and sent to Azkaban for the time being until your trial can be scheduled."

Lucius nodded and stood up. He gave Narcissa one last hug and kiss before looking to Draco. He put his hand on Draco's shoulder and it took everything in his power not to shake his hand off. Lucius sighed and looked at his son. He looked like he wanted to speak but instead just gave him a small nod and walked off with Kingsley. Draco's brows furrowed as he watched his father leave and looked to his mother who shook her head and shrugged before kissing his temple and going to talk to Molly.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The dead had been moved to a few empty classrooms where they would rest until proper burial arrangements could be arranged. There was a large feast held but no one seemed to be in celebratory spirits. Everyone was still sad over the losses and exhausted after fighting for so long. Many people excused themselves from dinner and went straight to bed, the Golden Trio included. Most of the Order went back to their respective homes and Narcissa went to stay with Andromeda as she broke the news of her daughter's death and their sister's demise. Neither woman got much sleep that night.

After taking a long, hot shower, Hermione assumed that she'd fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow since she was so tired but that wasn't the case. She tossed and turned repeatedly and couldn't seem to get comfortable despite being in her bed in her room in Gryffindor Tower. She groaned as she looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was only ten after midnight. If she kept up like this, it would be a long night.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and threw the covers off her bed as she got up. She put a small robe on over her pyjamas, pocketed her wand, and threw on some flip flops of Ginny's that she'd return in the morning. Quietly sneaking out of her room and out of the Gryffindor common room (careful not to wake Harry and Ginny who had fallen asleep on the couch together) she thought about where she would go. She knew she could wander around the school until she felt tired enough to fall asleep but she admitted to herself that she wanted to see Draco.

They had barely talked since Lucius had been taken away to Azkaban. Draco hadn't wanted to talk about it and Hermione hadn't pushed him. She had given him one last kiss before retreating to her room but hadn't wanted to leave him. They had spent so much time together these last few months that being separated from him just felt wrong. She sighed in defeat and began to walk towards the Slytherin common room, hoping to find Draco.

She was halfway there before she heard quiet talking a few paces ahead of her. She slowed her walk as she approached the voices and was surprised to find Ron and Pansy sitting on a window bench talking with their fingers entwined. She cleared her throat to make them aware of her presence. Pansy sat up straight as she noticed Hermione and pulled her hand away from Ron's. "Sorry," Hermione said, immediately regretting ruining their private moment. "I didn't mean to interrupt." She looked at Ron. "I figured you'd be asleep."

He shook his head. "Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same." Hermione shrugged. "Um, listen Pansy, you wouldn't happen to know where Draco is do you?"

"Last I saw him, he was in his room."

Hermione nodded in thanks. "Oh, Granger, wait." Pansy said, stopping Hermione as she had begun to walk away. "The password to get into the common room is _Wolfsbane_. Draco's room is the first door to the right and his bed is dead center in the middle of the room."

"Thank you, Pansy," Hermione said before leaving her and Ron to continue their conversation. She smiled to herself happily as she thought of Ron and Pansy finding comfort with each other after such a difficult day. She was glad she had introduced them as she had a good feeling about those two.

She approached the Slytherin door and spoke the password. The door swung open and she entered. The common room was dark except the embers of the fireplace quietly burning away. She lit up her wand as she walked to Draco's room following Pansy's instructions. She quietly opened his door and turned her wand off before walking in.

She expected the room to be pitch black but it was actually quite bright as the moon shone brightly through the window. Hermione's eyes immediately fell on a head of blonde hair and knew it was Draco. He hadn't been able to fall asleep either and was currently staring at the ceiling replaying the day's events in his mind. He heard the door open and looked up to see if one of the guys had gotten up but was surprised to see his girlfriend quietly closing the door and tiptoeing over to him. His brows furrowed in confusion but he made room for her in the bed as she took off her shoes and snuggled in next to him.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"I couldn't sleep. And I wanted to see you." she whispered back.

He wrapped his arm around her as they snuggled close together. "How did you get in here?"

"I ran into Pansy and Ron on my way here and she told me the password and how to get here."

Draco chuckled and kissed her forehead. Then he furrowed his brows. "Wait, Pansy and Ron? Together? At this hour?"

Hermione giggled. "Yeah. They were just sitting and talking but I think I interrupted something because they were holding hands when I found them."

Draco was very confused to say the least. "Well that escalated quickly." Hermione giggled again. "Well, I guess it will be easier to explain to Pansy, Blaise, and Theo now how we ended up together then. I promised them I'd tell them everything tomorrow."

"Hm. Well I'm sure they'll handle it just fine."

His lips quirked in small smile and he kissed her tenderly. He closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar lavender scent. He kissed her forehead before he relaxed and allowed himself to rest his mind finally feeling comfortable with Hermione with him.

They fell asleep in the safety and comfort of each other's arms.

* * *

_**P.S. Before you start asking, no this is not the end of the story. There's a few more chapters left that I wrote to close up everything nicely. So fear not, loyal readers! There's still a little more to this story left. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Holy crap, being a Maid of Honor is hard! To all of those of you who have been Maids/Matrons of Honor, I salute you and to those of you who are going to be one... Good luck! You're going to need it. Anyway, thank you guys for being so patient and understanding. I'm finally home after a very long day and a very stressful weekend so I am more than ready to get some sleep but I thought I'd post this for you guys first since you're all so amazing. This is the beginning of the end chapters so it's going to be pretty much fluff from here on out. Just a fair warning...**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 26: Six Months Later**

Draco and Narcissa stood at the apparition point in the Ministry that would take them to Azkaban to see Lucius for the last time. Lucius had been tried shortly after he had been taken into custody. During the trial, Harry had offered to speak on Lucius' behalf but Draco and Narcissa had declined. They knew that the elder Malfoy's chances of being released were very slim and they decided to just let what will happen, happen even though it was killing Narcissa inside. Draco had felt nothing but numbness from the time leading up to the trial and afterwards as well. He even felt numb when Lucius' sentence had been announced: the Dementor's Kiss. Narcissa's heart broke into a thousand pieces but she refused to let any tears fall until this day. She would not mourn her husband until his last day because she knew as she soon as she let the tears fall, she wouldn't stop for a while.

Today was the day that Lucius' sentence would be carried out. The Malfoys entered the prison and were seated on one side of the glass with Lucius already seated on the other side wearing the traditional prison garb. He had lost some weight, had bags under his eyes, and his hair was very disheveled. Narcissa bit her lip to keep from crying as she looked at her husband for the last time. Lucius looked sad as he stared at the two people in the world who meant the most to them; and he had let them both down.

Narcissa put her hand on the glass and Lucius matched his hand with hers, cursing the glass that stood between them. "I'll always love you, you know," she said.

"I love you too." Lucius replied. He looked to his son. "Draco."

The younger Malfoy met his father's gaze. Lucius seemed to be struggling to put words together. "H-how are you?" was what he finally said.

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Fine," he said.

Lucius nodded. "You still with the mu-" he was cut short by Narcissa's warning glare, "muggle-born?" Draco nodded. His father's jaw tightened. "Right."

The three remained silent for a few moments. Suddenly a guard came into the room. "You have fifteen minutes left." Narcissa nodded in thanks and looked back to her son and husband who weren't looking at each other. She sighed. "Look, I know you two aren't on the best of terms but can't you put aside your differences for a few minutes? I think it'd be good for both of you to reconcile."

Draco looked at his mother and suddenly had a flashback of something Hermione had said to him the day before. _I know he hurt you, Draco, but you need to forgive him. Holding on to that anger and hurt and betrayal will continue to eat you alive for the rest of your life until it kills you. You are not your father; you know that, I know that, and the rest of the world knows that. But the only way you can ever truly move on from the things he's done is to forgive him. For him and for yourself. I know that you love your father Draco, no matter how much you deny it, and I know that saying goodbye will be hard for you. But if you forgive him, you'll feel better. And I know that you'll be grateful for doing so later in your life. Remember: to err is human; to forgive, divine._

Draco took a deep breath and looked at his father. He knew she was right. He had held so much anger in his heart for his father that forgiveness seemed impossible but he had seen what anger does to people firsthand when working with the Death Eaters and he didn't want to become that. He felt happy now and wanted to be able to feel that for the rest of his life. He ran a shaking hand through his hair as his stomach knotted in anticipation for what he was about to say.

"I forgive you," he said. Narcissa's breath hitched in her throat as Lucius' eyes widened. Draco bit his lip before continuing. "You were an absolute bastard during my childhood, always demanding perfection and reprimanding me when I couldn't do it. And then you threw me into the middle of a war that I didn't want to fight because you decided to work for one of the biggest psychos in the history of the wizarding world. You put mum and me at risk for your master and tortured, hurt, and killed innocent people because it was your _job_ and almost gave up my soul because the Dark Lord commanded it. And that's only _half _of the shit that you pulled." He took a deep breath before continuing. "But we also had some good memories. You taught me how to fly, how to play Quidditch, and you used to tell the best stories. These past six months have allowed me to reevaluate my opinion of you now that the war is over. I have to admit, it's not high. But I've allowed myself to see that you did what you did because you care, even if you did get carried away. And you're still my dad; you'll always have a place in my heart. So I forgive you; for both of us."

Narcissa sniffed and smiled at her son. Lucius stared at Draco with something new in his eyes: admiration. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "I know I didn't tell you this enough, Draco, but I'm... incredibly proud of you. You've become a remarkable young man. And… I'm glad you didn't grow up to be me. You've figured out who you are and what you want to be and I hope that makes you happy." Lucius paused. "I'm very proud of you, Draco. Remember that."

Just then, the guard came in to let them know that their time was up. Lucius looked back to his wife and son for the last time. "I love you. Both of you," was the last thing he said before he was taken away to receive his sentence. Draco stared at the empty room across from him for one last moment. "Love you too, Dad." he said quietly before standing up and leaving Azkaban with his mother who was fighting the tears with every step.

Draco returned home after Narcissa had declined his offer to go back with her to the manor. She intended to visit Andromeda whom she had become very close to in the recent months. He nodded and kissed his mother goodbye before returning to the apartment Hermione had rented during the war. Not wanting to return to the manor just yet, Draco had moved in and kept up with the rent while Hermione retrieved her parents from Australia in the first few months after the war. Returning their memories to them was much easier than expected and they readjusted to their old lives very quickly. Hermione had filled them in on the events that had occurred during their absence and told them about her relationship with Draco. At first they were very confused but as Hermione explained everything that had happened between them, they seemed to understand a bit better. They had met him in Diagon Alley back in September before the school year started again and had taken an immediate liking to him. Draco had grown to like them very quickly as well. Hermione was still baffled at how quickly her boyfriend and her dad hit it off but was pleased that her parents approved of him.

Draco walked into the living room to find Hermione sitting on the couch reading a book. She looked up as she heard him enter the room and closed the book. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied quietly, sitting down next to her on the couch.

"How'd it go?"

He was quiet for a moment as he thought about everything that had happened in the last hour. He had just said goodbye to his father for the last time. He would never see him again. And he had forgiven him for everything he had ever done. Draco hadn't noticed that the numbness was gone until he felt the wall that he had built whenever he thought about his father collapse. He put his head into his hands and began to sob. He cried for his mother and her broken heart, he cried for the released anger that he had held in for so long, and he cried for his father. He cried for his father's misguidedness, his fate, and he cried as the man who raised him was taken away from him forever. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and just held him as he cried.

He would cry all night as he released all his pent up emotions from over the years.

* * *

It would be another month before Draco finally felt at peace with the loss of his father.

Draco had been excused from school when Lucius' sentence drew closer so he would be able to say goodbye. Hermione had surprised him a couple days later by showing up at the apartment to be his support system. He knew Hermione wouldn't miss school for just anything but the fact that she had asked McGonagall to be excused from school to support her boyfriend as he said goodbye to his father made him appreciate her more than ever. Having someone there when he got home that night made it so much easier to get up the next morning than it would've been had he been alone.

McGonagall gave them a two week break for Draco to recover from Lucius' sentence. As their time ran out, they returned to Hogwarts to finish the term. Draco begrudgingly continued his studies at the request of his mother because she knew it would be good for him. It worked. He buried himself in his work so much that he hardly had time to think about Lucius. It wasn't until he and Narcissa spent their very first Christmas with the Weasleys at the Burrow that Draco felt the final chains around his heart break. He wasn't sure what caused it but all he knew was suddenly a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could breathe easier. He squeezed Hermione and Narcissa's hands and as they looked into his eyes, both women could see that Draco would be okay.

Hermione, Ginny, and Draco returned to Hogwarts after the holidays to finish their final year. Harry and Ron had decided not to return to Hogwarts and instead got jobs at the Ministry in the Auror department. Now that Kingsley was Minister, many things were being run differently. Kingsley had made sure that any corrupt workers in the Ministry were fired and punished properly, he had completely re-staffed many of the departments, and began to run the Ministry _properly_ as it always should have been. Kingsley promised Hermione and Draco positions at the Ministry should they choose to work there after Hogwarts, as Ginny had been recruited by the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team, but both weren't sure of what they wanted to do just yet.

After graduation, Hermione and Draco decided to go on that trip they had agreed to go on during the war. Narcissa and the Grangers were surprisingly okay with the idea of their children traveling together, which surprised Hermione but after going through an entire war together, their parents figured they could handle traveling together for a couple of weeks. They decided on Paris and spent two blissful weeks in paradise. They toured many of the museums, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and ate so much French food Draco thought he was going to gag the next time he saw a snail. They returned refreshed, happy, and more in love than ever before.

After they got back, Hermione accepted Kingsley's offer of a job at the Ministry taking a position in the Department of International Magical Cooperation while Draco declined the offer and picked up a position as a Healer at St. Mungo's in the Spell Damage ward. He hadn't wanted a job where he'd be stuck in a cubicle or office all day; he'd rather be working in a place where he can help people and move around. Although Hermione hadn't originally wanted to take a up a job at the Ministry, she realized that things were being run much better there and decided that working on foreign affairs in the Ministry would be good for bringing peace amongst wizards all around the world. Both of them very quickly grew to love their careers.

In her free time, Hermione began to help Narcissa completely redecorate the Manor. The blonde had been complaining about how dark and dreary the Manor was and decided to clean it up a bit. Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Pansy had jumped at the opportunity to help and immediately started tossing ideas around with Narcissa to see what they could change to make the house more open. The first thing they had done was take down all the dark curtains that blocked the windows and giving away all the dark artifacts to the Ministry (Narcissa was extremely grateful to get those out of the house). Next, was to paint. Many of the walls had been painted dark colors which made the house feel more closed off and dark; Hermione and Ginny had gone shopping in some muggle paint stores to find colors to repaint the house. They had returned with a variety of paint colors ranging from a light beige to a soft gray. Narcissa and Hermione had decided that neutral colors would be good for the house but they needed to be relatively warm colors and absolutely _no_ white. They decided to paint a majority of the house with the beige color and paint the bedrooms with the gray and painting the bathrooms with a light ivory color.

After the house had been painted, they began to decorate. They brought in all new furniture that included some coffee brown leather couches and some gray-blue curtains with throw pillows to match. There was also a large sand colored rug in the living room that Draco had bought for Narcissa from his and Hermione's trip to France. Narcissa had kept the wooden tables that already resided in the house and a few other things for decorative purposes and then they were done.

The house had completely transformed. Long gone was the dark and dreary Malfoy Manor; now it was much warmer and welcoming. It felt like a completely new house. The windows allowed much more natural light to come into the house allowing it to be more open and airy. The house felt more comfortable to be in and as if it were begging for some happiness to reside inside it. The five women were very proud of their handy work and laughed when they saw that Draco was speechless when he saw the finished product. He had never seen the manor in this state before but he loved it. It finally felt like a home. He looked to Hermione and smiled as he realized for the first time in a long time, he couldn't wait for Malfoy Manor to be his. Or maybe even _theirs_.

* * *

_**P.S. I realize that there's not a lot of talking in this chapter. It's a filler chapter but it needed to be put in here to move the rest of the story forward a little bit. I hope you enjoyed it!**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: You guys are awesome, thank you for all the support with this story! And to ease your worries, this is not the last chapter; there's still two more to go. In the meantime, I hope you're all having a wonderful week!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

It was the five year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the Second Wizarding War. There would be a large gala party held in Harry's and the other war heroes honor and in honor of those who sadly did not survive the battle.

Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Pansy were all getting ready together at Malfoy Manor while the boys (Draco and Blaise included) were killing time at the Burrow until it was time to get the girls. Over the years, the four girls and guys had grown quite close. Ron and Pansy had started dating shortly after that night Hermione had caught them talking and the two had been inseparable ever since. They were so crazy about each other, it was hard to believe that they once hated one another. As for Blaise and Luna, they had fallen madly in love with each other. Blaise had grown to appreciate Luna's quirkiness and Luna brought out the best in him. They got engaged a couple weeks ago and were hoping to get married in August, next year. Ginny and Harry had gotten married last year in a small and private wedding; they saw Teddy frequently throughout each week and both simply adored the tyke. A couple days ago, Ginny had just discovered that she was pregnant and planned on telling Harry at the party tonight. Hermione squealed with joy when she heard the news and continued to smile as she got ready. As for Hermione and Draco, they were living together in a modest apartment (they had moved shortly after getting their jobs) and were doing very well. Both worked long hours, as they had worked their ways up to the top of their respective careers, but they always made time for each other and hardly ever fought. Narcissa and Hermione still got along famously and the Grangers loved Draco like their own. Needless to say, they were very happy together.

As for Theo, he wouldn't be attending the party as he had chosen to travel for a few years after the war. He was currently in New York with a young half-blood witch named Greer that he had met in Quebec. They seemed to be very happy together.

The girls were sharing many stories and laughs as they got ready. Pansy would be wearing a silver strapless dress that had a sparkly beaded bodice that continued all the way down the dress until they spread out and eventually stopped halfway down the bottom of the dress. Her long hair was teased to give it more volume and held up in a ponytail with some strands of hair falling loose around her face. Luna was wearing a black hi-lo dress. It had capped sleeves and had a small tie in the front of the dress and had pockets which made her very happy. She had a large braid that wrapped around the crown of her head then led to an intricate bun on the back, courtesy of Ginny.

Speaking of Ginny, the redhead was wearing a spaghetti strap gown that was a dark beige color and was beaded all along the bodice and bottom part of the dress with a small dark brown strap that acted as a belt right across her rib cage. Her hair had been curled into small ringlets and half of it was held up with some small clips. Last, was Hermione. She was wearing a blush colored gown with capped sleeves that was covered head to toe in sequins. Her curly hair (which had calmed down over the years and gone from bushy curls to cascading waves) was pulled back into a messy bun with some strands of hair falling loosely around her face. Each woman had done their own makeup and shared pieces of jewelry that they thought would work for each other's dresses.

As Hermione was helping Pansy put a pearl necklace on, Narcissa came into the room. "The boys are here," she said as she got a good look at all four girls. "Wow. You all look stunning! I think the boys are going to have a hard time picking their jaws up from the floor."

Ginny and Pansy laughed at that idea while Luna just smiled dreamily. Hermione, however, began to get a nervous knot in her stomach. She had been against the party in the first place since she felt it was just a big propaganda stunt by the Ministry but Ginny had convinced her to go and enjoy herself anyway. Just after she had agreed to go, however, she had been asked by Kingsley himself to make a speech at the party. Harry would be making one as well (Ron had declined the offer) but that didn't ease her nerves. She had a speech prepared in her clutch but she was still dreading the idea of making it. Now that the day was here, she just wanted to apparate back home and hide in her closet until it was all over. Narcissa seemed to sense Hermione's apprehension and grabbed her hands to comfort the girl.

"You look beautiful," the blonde said. Hermione smiled weakly at her. Narcissa chuckled. "You have nothing to be worried about. I've heard your speech and it's wonderful." She pulled Hermione in for a hug. "You're going to be great," she whispered in her ear before pulling back and smiling at her. Hermione returned the smile, her nerves quieted for the time being.

She took a deep breath, grabbed her bag and followed the rest of the girls out to meet the guys. Narcissa threw her arm around Hermione's shoulder and she wrapped her arm around the blonde's waist as they walked into the foyer. They were talking quietly about what Narcissa planned on planting in the garden this upcoming summer when Hermione saw Draco. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked at him: he was wearing a very nice black muggle suit (the dress code for men allowed them to wear robes or muggle suits, whichever they preferred), a white dress shirt and a black tie. Hermione had seen him dressed up before (at Harry and Ginny's wedding to be exact) but something about seeing him dressed up in a muggle suit made her heart flutter.

Draco grinned when he saw her and began to walk towards her. Narcissa smiled and patted Hermione's shoulder before leaving the couple alone and walking over to Andromeda. "Hi," Hermione said shyly.

"Hi," he replied, still grinning. "You… you look beautiful."

She bit her lip and smiled. "Thank you. You look very handsome, yourself."

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her but it was short lived a small "Ew" came from the other side of the room. The couple looked to find little Teddy in Ginny's arms, covering his eyes as he witnessed his godmother kiss her boyfriend.

"What do you mean 'ew?'" Hermione asked, laughing as she walked to her godson and took him into her arms.

"Kissing is gwoss!" the five year old said.

"You never say 'ew' when you kiss me or Ginny, though," Hermione argued.

Teddy shrugged. "That's diffwent!"

The adults laughed. "Whatever you say, sweetie," Hermione said. She kissed Teddy goodbye as did Harry and Ginny before leaving him with Andromeda and Narcissa would be watching him for the night. The four couples then piled into the carriages that would be taking them to the party all the while enjoying the company of their friends.

The party was in full swing. Many people were out on the dancefloor while others were socializing at various tables. Hermione and Draco were dancing to a melodic love song and were currently in their own little world. Neither had stopped smiling and they were constantly laughing and sharing little inside jokes with each other. Pansy had joked that if she didn't know exactly what they were feeling, she'd have been making some bad jokes about romance which gained a chuckle from Ron before he kissed her.

At one point, Hermione and Draco were pulled out of their world as they heard a loud whoop come from Harry before he spun Ginny around on the dancefloor and kissing her for everyone (including the reporters who had gotten access to the party) to see. Hermione giggled and looked back at Draco who seemed confused. "What's that about?" he asked.

Hermione grinned. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else until Ginny says it's okay." He promised. Hermione could hardly contain her excitement. "Ginny's pregnant," she squealed.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Wow! That's exciting."

"I know!" she said. "I'm probably far more excited about it than I should be but I'm just so happy for them. They deserve it."

Draco nodded. "Yeah, they do." The next song that came on was a slow dance and Hermione rested her head against Draco's chest and sighed contentedly. He kissed the top of her head and furrowed his brows as he thought about Ginny's news. He and Hermione had been together for almost six years and had lived together for a majority of that time as well. They hadn't talked about marriage but they both knew it would happen eventually (both of their mothers would kill them if they didn't). However, seeing Harry and Ginny be a family with Teddy and now their new baby and seeing Luna and Blaise get engaged made him start to think about marriage more seriously. He loved Hermione, he knew that, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. So why hadn't he proposed yet?

His brows furrowed further as he thought about that. Why _hadn't_ he proposed yet? Now that he thought about it, he realized he didn't have a good enough answer for that question. He decided then and there that he would change that question. Tonight.

When the song ended, he excused himself to the restroom. When he entered there, he quickly apparated to Grant and Elizabeth Granger's house. When he arrived on the doorstep, he knocked on the door, trying to steady his breathing as the gravity of what he was about to do hit him. Liz, Hermione's mother, answered the door. "Draco? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the party with Hermione?"

He nodded. "I was but then I realized that there's something I want to do. But I wanted to talk to you two about it first. Is now a good time?"

She nodded and opened the door wider to let him in. He followed her to the living room where Grant was watching the evening news on the television. When he saw Draco, he smiled but frowned quickly as he wondered why Draco was here instead of with Hermione. Draco took a deep breath as he sat in a chair across from Liz and Grant. "Um…" he began. "I probably should have thought through what I was going to say before coming over here," he chuckled. He looked to her parents. "As you know, Hermione and I literally went through hell and back during the war. But we stuck together through all of it and in the end, we not only survived but we came out together. She saved my life and brought me out of this very bad tailspin downwards and allowed me to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Little did I know at the time that that light was her." He paused before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is that I love her more than I will ever be able to put into words and until my dying day, I will do anything and everything I can to make her happy. So, what I'm asking is… may I have your blessing to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?"

Liz had tears in her eyes and Grant was fighting a grin, trying to seem stern but gave up and smiled at Draco. "Of course, you have our blessing, Draco," he said. Draco's eyes lit up. Grant stood up at the same time Draco did and pulled him into a hug. "It's about time, if you ask me," he joked causing Draco to laugh. He gave Liz a hug and ushered them many thank yous as he left the Grangers and apparated back to the manor. Narcissa and Andromeda furrowed their brows as they saw the blonde appear in the kitchen.

"Draco? What are you doing here?" his mom asked.

Draco was beaming. "I'm going to ask Hermione to marry me!"

A huge grin broke out onto Narcissa and Andromeda's faces at the news. Draco gave them both quick hugs and then asked his mother for the ring she had been saving for him for his future wife. It was a Malfoy heirloom that had been in the family for generations and Narcissa was more than excited to give it to Draco. He put the small box in his pocket, kissed his mom and aunt before apparating back to the building where the party was being held. Ironically, he made it back into the bathrooms and nearly scared the living daylights out of Blaise who was washing his hands.

"Dude! What the hell are you doing?" Blaise asked.

Draco laughed. "Sorry, mate."

Blaise shook his head. "Where have you been? Hermione said you went to the restroom but that was twenty minutes ago. We were starting to get worried."

"I went to get this," Draco said pulling the small box out of his pocket and opening it up for Blaise to see. His best friend's eyes widened. "Woah! Is that-"

"The Malfoy heirloom? Yeah. I went to ask Hermione's parents first before getting the ring from mum."

"When are you going to ask her?"

"As soon as possible. Tonight, if I can, but not here. I know she wouldn't want the attention. Maybe after the party."

Blaise nodded and walked with Draco out of the bathroom. "What are you going to tell her why you took so long?"

"I'll just make something up. Say I forgot to feed the cat or something."

Blaise thought about it for a moment and nodded. Draco smiled at Hermione as he approached her and Blaise walked off to talk to Luna. "What happened to you?" Hermione asked. "That was a long bathroom break!"

Draco chuckled. "I realized that I forgot my watch at home and I wanted to go get it."

She raised an eyebrow. "You went home just to get your watch?"

He nodded. "I've been wearing it so often, I feel naked without it."

She chuckled and nodded in understanding. She felt the same way about her locket, which she was wearing underneath her dress. Just then, a loud tapping sound appeared and everyone looked to the podium where Kingsley was now standing. "Hello everyone and welcome. If you would all take your seats, please, we will begin shortly." Everyone sat down at their respective tables, the four couples all at the same table. As everyone was settled, Kingsley spoke again. "As you all know, today is the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the war. We are here to celebrate the end of that war and to remember those that fought valiantly but sadly lost their battle. We have a couple of speakers here today to speak on the battle and the world we live in now. First up is Miss Hermione Granger."

There was loud applause as Hermione took a deep breath before taking her speech out of her clutch and walking up to the podium. She shook hands with Kingsley and then faced the audience. She paused for a moment before beginning and looked out into the crowd. Her eyes met Draco's and he gave her an encouraging smile and nod. Pushing down the last of her nerves, she began to speak.

"Thank you," she said. "Like Kingsley said, we are here to honor those that we lost on this day five years ago. Before I continue, I'd like it if we all bowed our heads in a moment of silence out of respect for those who cannot be with us today." The audience complied. Hermione allowed it to last for a few moments as she steadied her breathing before speaking again. "Thank you. When I was first asked to make a speech, my first reaction was that there was nothing that I could say that hadn't already been said about the war. But then I sat down with my mum, a muggle, and talked to her about the war. We compared it to the wars the muggles had, more specifically World War II. It may sound familiar to you as some of our kind fought in that war. Adolf Hitler and Lord Voldemort had very similar views: they believed that there was a race that was far more inferior than them and those like them and the only way to make the world 'pure' was to obliterate that inferior race. But, just like WWII, unlikely allies banded together and won the war and, in turn, made the world a better place."

Hermione paused and glanced at Draco. He had heard the first nine rough drafts of her speech and what she was about to say was one of the things that had stayed consistent through every single one. He had asked her not to mention him by name and she complied. Even if everyone knew who she would be talking about, it made him feel more comfortable knowing his name would not be thrown into the speech. He smiled at her and Hermione swallowed. "Before the war, many people - myself included - believed that the world was black and white: there were the good guys and there were the bad guys. The good guys fought for the Order and and the bad guys fought for Voldemort. Until, one day, one of the bad guys became one of the good guys. From that moment on, the entire world flipped upside down. The world was no longer black and white; it was full of every color imaginable. We learned about someone we had always made assumptions about and we learned about a group we had only heard rumors about. We learned that sometimes people don't have a choice and that they do what they have to in order to survive. We learned how to work with unlikely allies. We learned how to forgive and how to trust. We learned how to love each other and to find peace. We learned that a house at Hogwarts doesn't define a person and neither does blood status. We've learned many things and each of them shaped us as people and as a community. But we also learned that life is short and precious. So when you go home tonight, be sure you cherish your loved ones and your friends. Be sure to smile and laugh everyday, and know that, even though they can't be with us, the ones that we lost would be so happy to know that the world they died fighting for is the one we now get to wake up to everyday. Thank you."

The moment she finished speaking, the audience broke out into thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Kingsley wrapped her in a large hug before she walked back to her table only to be enraptured by the passionate kiss Draco gave her as soon as she got into his arms. There were a couple of loud whoops in approval at their PDA and Hermione giggled and blushed as she sat back down, entwining Draco's fingers with hers.

Kingsley clapped along with everyone else and then quieted them down. When he had the attention of the room again, he began to speak. "Thank you, Hermione, for that inspiring speech. And now, our next speaker needs no introduction. Please welcome Mr. Harry Potter to the stage."

Harry gave Ginny a quick peck on the cheek before walking up to the podium and shaking Kingsley's hand. As Kingsley sat down, Harry turned and smiled at the audience. "Give it up one more time for Hermione Granger, ladies and gentlemen, please!" The audience applauded and cheered for her and she just blushed and smiled at them hoping Harry would take the attention off her soon. Her wish was answered as the applause died down and Harry had the spotlight again. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of a tough act to follow." There was some quiet chuckling among the audience while Hermione shrugged innocently and mouthed "sorry" to Harry. He just smiled and winked at her.

Harry's speech was much shorter than Hermione's and mostly consisted of thanking many of the people who had fought by his side in the war. He also talked about cherishing life and the world they lived in. He cracked a couple of jokes and then closed his speech. He shook Kingsley's hand and also received a standing ovation. After Harry sat back down at the table, Kingsley made another small speech and then dinner was served. There were many laughs shared during dinner and dessert. After the meal was more dancing and some drinking. The party lasted into the early hours of the morning and it was well after 3am when Hermione and Draco decided to return home.

Hermione groaned as she walked through the front door, kicking off her heels and beginning to take the millions of bobby pins out of her hair. Draco chuckled as he followed her upstairs to their bedroom and helped her take out any last pins that were in her hair. She threw the pins onto the bathroom counter and ran her fingers through her hair while Draco began to undress. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smirked.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said.

Draco looked at her and smirked. "Okay."

"You're joining me," she said mischievously.

"Okay," he replied, chuckling.

An hour later, they were cuddled together in bed in their pajamas. Their clothes from earlier in the evening were strewn all over the floor and both of them had damp hair from the water. Draco was rubbing Hermione's back soothingly as she peppered him with soft kisses along his neck and collarbone, frustrated when she would kiss his shirt instead of his skin. He chuckled and turned his head to her so his lips would meet hers. She smiled at him when they pulled out of the kiss and nuzzled his nose. He smiled.

"Hermione," he said quietly.

"Hm?"

"How do you feel about Venice?"

She pulled back from him slightly and pursed her lips as she pondered his question. "I've never been but I'd love to see the city. Why? Are you planning another vacation for us?"

"Actually, I was planning our honeymoon."

She furrowed her brows at him as he turned around to grab something off his bedside table. "Honeymoon? What honeymoon? We're not even enga-"

She dropped the word as she was momentarily stunned by what Draco was showing her. He was holding a small box with a ring inside. But it wasn't just any ring; it was the most magnificent ring Hermione had ever seen. It was white gold with a wide band that led to a large square and a cushion cut diamond in the middle with smaller diamonds surrounding it and lining both sides of the band. Hermione covered her mouth with her hand as she sat up trying to fight the tears in her eyes. Draco sat up and took the ring out of the box.

"It's a Malfoy heirloom; been in the family for generations. My mum's been keeping it for me out of hope that I'd give it to the woman I'd eventually marry. And as for your parents, I already asked for their blessing and they gave it to me. This is why I disappeared for such a long time during the party tonight. I didn't see a point in waiting anymore. I love you and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you and be the father of your children and be able to wake up next to you everyday for the rest of my life. I am by no means perfect but I will do everything in my power to make you happy and make you proud. So, Hermione Jean Granger, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The tears began to spill over as Hermione nodded yes, unable to find her voice at the moment. A grin appeared on Draco's face as he slid the ring onto her finger. As soon as it was on her hand, Hermione threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Finally finding her voice, she squealed "yes" before peppering him in kisses once more.

* * *

_**P.S. The links for the dresses and the ring are on my profile if you'd like to see them.**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: One more chapter to go! *sobs* Also, someone mentioned that links for the dresses weren't working. I (hopefully) fixed them so please let me know if they work. If not, I'll mess with them again but I'm not sure what else there might be that I can fix. Anyway, yay wedding chapter! I hope you guys like it!**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 28:**

Draco and Hermione hadn't wanted a particularly long engagement so they decided to get married in December, just before Christmas. The wedding would be held at Malfoy Manor in the garden. Narcissa and Liz and Grant met shortly after the engagement was announced and, much to their children's relief, the parents hit it off. Liz and Narcissa immediately took control of the wedding planning, taking much of the stress away from Hermione.

As the day of the wedding came, the two women made sure that everything was going smoothly before leaving Molly in charge to help Hermione and the girls get ready. Grant would be with Draco and Blaise (the best man) helping calm the groom's nerves as he prepared for the ceremony. The men would be wearing traditional muggle tuxedos instead of the usual wizard robes. Harry and Ron were also part of the wedding party but were currently helping Molly with the set up. Grant and Blaise were cracking jokes with Draco, trying to keep him in a light mood. It was working.

As for the bride, she was being entertained by her friends, mother, and soon to be mother-in-law. Ginny and Pansy were singing to the radio and Luna was currently cleaning the room of any nargles. Hermione chuckled at the blonde and just let her do her thing. Eventually, they all began to get ready. Luna and Pansy were the bridesmaids and Ginny was the maid of honor. The girls would be wearing a high collar satin gown the color of champagne. Since Ginny was six months pregnant at the time, her dress was magically altered to adjust to her growing belly. All the girl's hair was wrapped into an elegant french twist with strands of hair falling loose around their face to give a more sophisticated look. Liz was wearing lavender colored dress with a v-neck, sheer sleeves, a criss-cross pleated bodice, and sequins running all along the bottom of the dress. Her hair was down and slightly curled. Narcissa was wearing a simple high-collar long sleeved emerald green dress that had a small tie in the back. Her long blonde hair was half up, allowing her face to be seen completely.

Hermione's dress screamed elegance. It was a sleeveless v-neck with sequins lining the straps and neckline before transitioning into beaded flowers that decorated the entire dress. The back also fell into a v-neck but it was deeper than the one in the front and was also lined with sequins. Her hair was pulled back into a bun similar to how she had her hair for the Ministry party but had a sequined headband in her hair for some extra sparkle. She was wearing diamond earrings and a simple diamond necklace that would count as her something borrowed from Pansy. Her something blue would be the orchids that were a part of the bouquet along with white lilies (she hadn't wanted the traditional roses so she chose something that was simple but still elegant). Her ring was the something old since it was an heirloom and her something new was a diamond bracelet her mom had bought her. Lastly, was the veil.

As soon as it was clipped into Hermione's hair, Liz began to tear up. Hermione smiled at her mom and laughed as she pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Narcissa gave Hermione a hug as well before she and Liz left the room to check on the ceremony space. The two women were very satisfied when they spoke with Molly. They were convinced Hermione and Draco would love it. A large canopy had been set up over the garden to protect them from the snowfall and a warming charm had been cast to keep the area warm. There were small lights hanging from the top of the canopy and small lanterns lit up the aisle along with orchid petals that had been scattered along the aisle. Arthur Weasley would be acting as the officiant, at the request of both the bride and groom.

Everyone who had helped set up were now dressed for the occasion and the guests started to arrive. Among the guests was Andromeda, all the members of the Order (Kingsley included), the entire Weasley family and their spouses, a couple of friends from both of Hermione and Draco's work, and a few classmates and teachers from Hogwarts including Neville, Seamus, Dean Thomas, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Professor Slughorn. Even Theo had come back for the wedding with Greer, now his fiance. When everyone was seated, Liz and Narcissa separated to get their respective children. The girls piled out of the room to meet the groomsmen but Hermione was kept from view so no one could see her.

As Draco and the rest of the wedding party appeared at the altar, he began to feel anxious. This was it: this was the day he and Hermione were going to get married. He could hardly contain his smile. He chuckled as little Teddy and Bill and Fleur's daughter Victoire walked down the aisle as the ring bearer and flower girl.

Then the music changed and all the guests stood up. And there she was: dressed in white, her arm linked with her father's, and a small smile on her face. Draco thought she looked like an angel. Hermione had rejected the typical wedding song that was usually played at weddings and requested something else be played as she walked down the aisle. After much talking with Draco and Narcissa, both agreed to letting her walk down the aisle to the song Draco remembered his father playing when he had danced with Narcissa all throughout the room. Now that he heard the music and saw her, he had no regrets about the choice of music. The song was short lived as Hermione made it to the altar to Draco. Grant kissed his daughter's cheek before giving her hand to Draco's and sitting down next to his wife. Then the ceremony began.

Arthur was a great officiant. He kept everybody laughing while reading the vows. When it came time for the rings, Teddy proudly walked up to the couple and handed them their bands. Hermione giggled at her godson and blew him a kiss which caused the tyke to blush and run back into this grandma's arms causing everyone to laugh. Repeating after Arthur, they slipped the rings onto each other's fingers. Hermione's wedding band had been made to match the engagement ring: white gold and small diamonds running all along the slim band. Draco's band was a mix of white and yellow gold: the center part of the ring was white gold and the outer edges were yellow gold.

After the rings were the final vows and then the part they had been waiting for: their first kiss as man and wife. Draco grinned at her before pulling her in for the kiss. She threw her arms around his neck and he tightened his grip around her before picking her up and spinning her around, never breaking the kiss. Hermione smiled at him as they pulled out. "I love you."

He kissed her forehead. "I love you too."

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the new Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" Arthur said happily. Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and began to walk back up the aisle with her. As they entered the house, Draco picked her up and spun her around again receiving a squeal from his wife. He put her down and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Mrs. Malfoy," he said, smirking.

Hermione bit her lip. "Hermione Malfoy… It has a nice ring to it."

"It does, actually," he replied. He caressed her face with both of his hands and kissed her tenderly. She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "There you are!" they heard a voice exclaim.

They pulled out of their embrace to see a pregnant Ginny Potter walking towards them with a large grin. She pulled Hermione into a tight hug (or as tight as it could be around her belly) and then gave Draco a hug after. The wedding party moved into the foyer of the house to get their photos taken by Luna's father Xenophilius while the ceremony space got transformed into the reception area. When the photos were done, Ginny helped take the veil out of Hermione's hair and then returned back outside as the reception started.

The canopy was still there but the chairs had been replaced with a variety of small tables with a large table at the front for the wedding party. The aisle had been taken away and in it's place was a wooden dance floor that had been enchanted to stay in place while everyone was dancing. More lights and flowers had been added and there was a piano melody playing in the background.

Draco and Hermione were all smiles throughout their first dance and even snuck in a couple of quick kisses. The song they danced to was the one Draco had written when they had gone horcrux hunting at the Ministry. He had decided to call it _Photograph_ and it became their song. After the first dance was the parent's dance. Hermione danced with her father in small circles while Draco and Narcissa glided across the dance floor with ease. Grant laughed when Hermione muttered that she married a show-off. Before Draco could ask Hermione for another dance, Ginny intercepted and spun her best friend around causing the brunette to laugh and get slightly dizzy.

During dinner, began the speeches. Blaise went first, sharing stories and his and Draco's childhood and their adventures in Hogwarts. He caused the audience to laugh when he shared a few embarrassing stories about his best friend and then brought everyone to tears as he smiled at Hermione and thanked her for bringing Draco back to life and showing him that there was still hope in the world. Ginny's speech was after Blaise and she continued to make the audience laugh repeatedly by sharing funny stories and cracking jokes. She ended her speech by announcing that she and Harry wanted Hermione and Draco to be the godparents to their baby. Draco nearly fell out of his chair at Ginny's announcement but regained his composure and hugged the Potters as he accepted the position. Hermione was fighting tears as she hugged her two best friends and accepted with a large smile on her face.

As Ginny sat down, Narcissa stood up and gathered everyone's attention. "This is a tradition that's lived in the Malfoy generation for over a century," she began. "At every Malfoy wedding, the parents give the bride and groom a gift of great value that they will hopefully cherish for the rest of their lives." Hermione and Draco stood up as Narcissa approached them. She handed her son a scroll with a red ribbon tied around it. He furrowed his brows at her as he opened the scroll. He and Hermione gasped as they read the writing.

Hermione put a hand over her mouth in shock. "What is it?" Ginny asked. The brunette looked to her mother-in-law and lowered her hand as tears began to fill in her eyes. "It- it's the deed to the Manor. I-It's in mine and Draco's names." The guests "awed" and clapped as Hermione gave Narcissa a huge hug. "Thank you so much," she whispered to her.

Narcissa smiled and kissed Hermione's temple. "I always wanted a daughter. And now I have the best one a woman could ask for. Welcome to the family, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione giggled and pulled back to wipe away her tears. Draco smiled and gave his mother a loving hug and thanked her. The reception continued all night and Hermione and Draco didn't get home and to bed until well into the early hours of the morning. They were so tired, they immediately fell onto the bed and passed out, still in their wedding attire.

Hermione woke up shortly after 9am. She yawned and walked quietly to the bathroom when she realized she was still in her wedding dress. Groaning quietly, she unzipped the gown and put it back on the hanger. She turned back to the mirror - wearing only lingerie that was supposed to be for their wedding night - and began to take the many bobby pins and headband out of her hair laughing quietly to herself as she noticed her smudged makeup made her look like a raccoon. She didn't realize how much her head hurt until she pulled the last bobby pin out. She groaned and rubbed her scalp soothingly as she turned on the shower.

She had been in the shower for only five minutes before she felt someone join her and begin to rub her shoulders. She groaned in relief. "You're a saint."

Draco chuckled and kissed her temple. "How'd you sleep?"

She shrugged and shook his hands off her shoulders and turned around to face him. "Not bad considering I fell asleep in my wedding dress."

He laughed and brushed some wet strands of hair out of her face. He caressed her face with his hands and smiled lovingly at her. "We're married," he said, disbelievingly.

She bit her lip and smiled. In response she got onto her tip toes and kissed him. He kissed her back, tenderly at first but then much more forcefully. He pinned her against the wall and ravaged her right there in the shower. When they finished, they took an actual shower in order to get all the grime from the day before off of them before getting out to finish packing for their honeymoon.

Draco was serious when he mentioned Venice for their honeymoon and planned it all out as soon as Hermione had said yes. The portkey was waiting for them as they finished getting ready. Hermione threw on her locket and put on some comfortable shoes and she was ready. Taking her husband's hand, they grabbed the portkey and traveled to Venice, Italy for their honeymoon.

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_**P.S. Just a reminder, Lucius and Narcissa's song was Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran and Draco and Hermione's song was Photograph by Ed Sheeran.**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	29. Epilogue

_**A/N: Well, you guys, this is it. The final chapter. It's been an incredible journey writing this story and sharing it with you all. Thank you guys so much for all your love and support in this story, I will never be able to express how much it means to me. You've all been amazing and I adore every one of you. Also, for the reviewer who compared me to JKR: Thank you so much! That made my day! And Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures out there. You're all so great! Thanks again to all of you who have made my day brighter with your wonderful words, follows, and favorites. It means a lot. So, for the last time...**_

_**Tallyho!**_

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**Chapter 29: Epilogue**

Draco and Hermione moved into Malfoy Manor shortly after they returned from their honeymoon. Narcissa had wanted to downsize anyway, so she moved into Draco and Hermione's old apartment shortly after they took all of their belongings out, leaving the furniture for Narcissa.

Both had loved the redecoration that had been done so they didn't make any changes to the interior except for adding some more pictures along the walls, many of the photos taken on their wedding day. There were also a few photos of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and Draco, Blaise, Theo, and Pansy, respectively, from their school days as well as a picture of Draco and Hermione on graduation day from Hogwarts. Crookshanks loved his new home and claimed one of the window seats in the house as his own and quickly made friends with Hamlet, the new barn owl Draco had adopted after they had moved into the Manor.

Draco and Hermione's bedroom was massive. One half of the room had a king sized four poster bed, two bedside tables, and a couple of dressers for both of them (not including the walk-in closet they also had), and the other half of the bedroom was treated as a mini sitting room. There were some large comfy leather chairs, a small table, and a small basket full of books, magazines, and a few newspapers for them to read, all facing two large french doors that led to the garden in the backyard. That space (and the library, of course) became Hermione's sanctuary when she wanted to relax from a long day at work.

Along with the house, Draco and Hermione also inherited Delilah, the house elf. Hermione had offered to set her free but Delilah refused, asking to stay. Hermione agreed on the condition that Delilah at least take some form of payment. At first, the small elf was reluctant but eventually agreed and received a small amount of galleons in payment that she could spend on her days off, something else Hermione insisted she have. Despite her hesitation at the idea of payment and time off at first, Delilah adored Hermione. She doted on her and followed her around like a lost puppy. Hermione wasn't completely comfortable with it initially, but the small elf quickly grew on her and they became fast friends.

In March, Ginny gave birth to a baby boy: James Sirius Potter. Draco was working when Ginny had been admitted into the hospital and couldn't get away to be with Hermione and the Weasleys until after the baby had been born in the early hours of the morning. All of the Weasleys had gone home to rest and would be coming back the next day but Hermione was still there. When Draco walked in the room, he saw that Harry was asleep in a transfigured bed in a corner of the room while Hermione was sitting on the bed and talking quietly with Ginny, the baby laying in his mother's arms. Ginny smiled at Draco as he quietly crossed the room and rubbed Hermione's back soothingly.

"About time you showed up," Ginny joked.

Draco shrugged. "Sorry, I couldn't get away. My rounds took forever."

Hermione patted his hand and smiled at him. "The important thing is that you're here now."

He smiled at her then looked at the baby. "Meet your godson," Ginny said. The baby was fast asleep and had a grip on Hermione's finger. He chuckled quietly and smiled. "He's so tiny," he remarked.

"They _do_ grow, Draco."

He furrowed his brows at the redhead. "I am aware, Ginny. I did see Teddy when he was a baby, you know."

Ginny chuckled. Hermione yawned and wiggled her finger out of the baby's grip. She kissed Ginny's head before standing up. "Alright, you should get some rest. You've had a long day. If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll see you when you get home, okay?"

Ginny nodded and smiled as the Malfoys left the maternity ward and walked to the apparition point, hand in hand. When they arrived home, they were pleasantly surprised to find tea and small sandwiches (enchanted to stay fresh) waiting for them on the small table in their bedroom, courtesy of Delilah.

Hermione ignored the sandwiches and poured herself some tea before changing into some pajamas and crawling into bed. Draco ate a couple of sandwiches then jumped into the shower. He was surprised to find Hermione still awake when he got out.

"What are you still doing up?" he asked, as he crawled into bed.

"I was waiting for you," she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head and turning off the lights with a wave of his wand. "You know, I was thinking," she said.

"Hmm?"

"You're going to have double duty soon."

"Really? In what way?"

"Well, you're going to be a godfather and a father. Plus you've got a full time job at the hospital. That's quite a lot of work you're going to have to do."

"Well, I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work," he replied as he yawned. Hermione smiled to herself and snuggled closer to her husband. She had just relaxed when Draco flew out of bed and turned on the lights. "What was that you just said?"

She looked up at him, her eyes struggling to adjust to the light. "You're going to have a lot of work to do?"

He shook his head. "Before that. You said I'm going to be a godfather and a… f-father?"

She bit her lip. His eyes widened. "Hermione… are- are you pregnant?"

She nodded meekly. "Surprise!"

A grin grew on his face and he hug-tackled Hermione causing her laugh. He gave her a soft kiss before looking at her. "I love you, Mrs. Malfoy."

"I love you, Mr. Malfoy."

Eight months later, Scorpius Grant Malfoy was born. Draco had wanted to name him Scorpius since it continued the Black tradition of naming the first born after a constellation but Hermione had wanted to give him a normal name. They argued about it for months before she finally caved and agreed to name the baby Scorpius as long as she could give him a "normal" middle name. Draco agreed. Looking at their son now, Hermione had no regrets about his name. He had light brown eyes and curly brown hair, similar to his mother's. Ginny and Harry had been named the godparents and, next to Narcissa and the Grangers, were the first people to see little Scorpius. As the first half-blood Malfoy, Scorpius grew up with knowledge about both of the worlds his parents had grown up in. He loved both the muggle and the wizard world equally, much to Hermione's delight, and even had a few muggle friends he had made in his muggle schooling before he would attend Hogwarts. Like his father, Scorpius was placed in Slytherin much to both of his parent's pride.

Draco and Hermione would have three more children. Myrna Rose was the second born, just one year younger than her brother. She was a spitting image of her grandmother: long blonde hair, pale blue/silver eyes, and porcelain skin - she would often have contests with her father about who was paler. Ron and Pansy had been named her godparents and she simply adored them. She would be the first Malfoy to be placed in Gryffindor but not the last.

Two years after Myrna was born, Hermione and Draco were surprised to find that they were having twins: Gemma Adeline and Ezra Anderson. Hermione had told Draco no more kids after the twins and he had agreed. Blaise and Luna had been named the godparents to the twins and both had grown fond of the two youngest Malfoys very quickly. Gemma was the perfect mix of her parents with bright silver eyes and curly brown hair while Ezra was a spitting image of his father except for the brown eyes that he had inherited from his mother. Ezra would join his older sister in Gryffindor while Gemma, to her father's horror, was placed in Hufflepuff.

Draco had nearly had a heart attack when he found out but Hermione had reminded him that Tonks had been a Hufflepuff and she had turned out to be one of the greatest witches they knew. That had calmed him down some and, eventually, he accepted Gemma's house and promised his youngest daughter that he didn't love her any less for being in Hufflepuff.

One evening, Draco was sitting with Hermione in their living room watching everything around him. The Potters, Weasleys, Notts, and Zabinis had all come over to the Manor with their children to spend an evening together and share stories and enjoy each other's company.

Scorpius and James (who were best friends) were playing wizard's chess, Myrna was showing Gemma and Lily (Harry and Ginny's youngest) how to play the piano while Ezra, Albus, Ben, and Sebastian (Harry and Ginny's second child, Ron and Pansy's oldest, and Theo and Greer's only son, respectively) were playing exploding snap, and Claire and Monty (Luna and Blaise's only daughter and Ron and Pansy's youngest, respectively) were reading to each other. Teddy would have been at the gathering but was spending the evening with Victorie at Bill and Fleur's instead. Ginny, Greer, and Pansy were talking animatedly while Luna was wrapped up in a conversation with Ron and Blaise and Harry and Theo were talking about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. Draco chuckled.

Hermione looked at him. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, I just… I love you. And I love our family and I love that I get to live this life with you by my side."

She smiled and gave him a soft kiss. "I love you too," she said before snuggling closer to him on the couch. Draco kissed the top of her head as he ran his hand up and down her arm soothingly. He was extremely happy. He had a wonderful wife, an amazing family, and great friends. He never imagined he'd be here and he was very grateful that he was.

Here, he was happy.

Here, he was safe.

Here, he was home.

**The End.**

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_**P.S. Alright, so I have a couple of announcements:**_

_**First, for any of you who followed/read my Helsa fic **_**All's Fair in Love and War_, I'm sorry to report that the sequel to that story has been abandoned. I don't like the ideas I had for that story and I'm having a hard time connecting to the characters again. If I get inspired, I might pick it back up but for now, it's not going to happen. Sorry for the inconvience._**

**_Second, I do have a sequel lined up for this story following the lives of the Malfoy family and their friends. It started off as a series of one-shots that just turned into it's own story. It's going to be focusing a lot on the relationships between Draco and Hermione and their kids and the children of the other couples in this story. However, I'm currently still writing it so it may be a while before it gets posted._**

**_Third, I'm also writing another Dramione story but I just started it and it has a ways to go before it's ready to be published. But I just wanted to let you know so that you have something to look forward to!_**

**_Lastly, I realize that with how many kids I gave each couple, it might be confusing as to who is who so I've made you a list:_**

**The Malfoys:**

**Scorpius Grant Malfoy:** Curly brown hair, light brown eyes. Slytherin. Oldest Malfoy child and is very protective of siblings. Very cunning and ambitious, like his father and has big plans for his future. Adores the twins and is very close with Myrna. Seeker for the Quidditch team. He and his sister, along with their friends, have worked hard to bring unity between the houses. It's worked. There's no more bad blood between the houses and instead it's just playful competition. Member of the next-gen Marauders. Likes to cause harmless trouble around Hogwarts.

**Myrna Rose Malfoy:** Long blonde hair, blue/silver eyes, porcelain skin. Gryffindor. Brilliant and hardworking, like her mother. Has her dad wrapped around her finger. Fearless and confident, she's not afraid to call someone's bluff or to stand up for the underdog. Seeker for the Quidditch team and likes to mess with her brother or distract him during games before diving for the snitch. Very close with her younger sister. Has a crush on Sebastian Nott but refuses to admit it to herself.

**Ezra Anderson Malfoy:** Platinum blonde hair, brown eyes, pointed features. Gryffindor. Twin to Gemma. Close to his siblings and idolizes his older brother. Fascinated with the muggle world and always has his nose in a book. The Malfoy library is his safe haven.

**Gemma Adeline Malfoy:** Curly brown hair, silver eyes. Hufflepuff. Marches to the beat of her own drum. Has a positive outlook on everything, is wise beyond her years, and is the peace keeper between her siblings whenever they fight. Shy and humble but is fiercely loyal and protective of those she cares about. Close with her sister and mother.

**The Potters:**

**James Sirius Potter II:** Dark hair, brown eyes. Gryffindor. Oldest Potter child. Biggest hell-raiser of the next-gen Marauders. Protective of younger siblings but gives Albus hell any chance he can.

**Albus Severus Potter:** Dark hair, green eyes. Slytherin. Complete opposite of James: quiet, good student, avoids trouble at all costs. Best friends with Myrna and Claire Zabini and is always trying to get the houses to work together. However, his efforts sometimes fail courtesy of James wreaking havoc with someone or something.

**Lily Luna Potter:** Red hair, brown eyes. Hufflepuff. Very similar to her mother in personality: spitfire, fiercely loyal, and can be a bit too honest at times. James has learned not to pull pranks on her as she retaliates twice as hard and once hit him with a hex so hard, he was disoriented for a week. Albus had a newfound respect for his sister after that.

**The Weasleys:**

**Benjamin Roger Weasley:** Dark hair, fair skin, dark brown eyes. Gryffindor. Oldest Weasley child. The more reasonable one of the next-gen Marauders. Quiet, thoughtful, and (at times) very reserved. He and Sebastian come up with most of the steps to the plans to the pranks he and the boys pull.

**Montgomery (Monty) Hans Weasley:** Red hair, blue eyes, light skin. Gryffindor. Wreaks havoc differently than his brother and his friends: instead of loud, blaring pranks, Monty prefers subtlety and to mess with someone's head. Once, he repeatedly moved everything in his brother's room slightly to the left for three months before Ben finally fell over when he went to sit on his bed. Their father couldn't stop laughing for a week.

**The Zabinis:**

**Claire Elizabeth Zabini:** Dark hair, light blue eyes, dark skin. Ravenclaw. Only child of Blaise and Luna Zabini. Quirky like her mother and very attentive to her surroundings and to the people around her. Best friends with Myrna and Albus; always gives them advice (even if it's not necessarily the best). Bit absent-minded but incredibly smart.

**The Notts:**

**Sebastian (Bass) Theodore Nott:** Dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes. Slytherin. Only child of Theo and Greer Nott. One of the planners of the Marauders but also is one of the first to carry out the prank. Loves to egg people on (Myrna especially). Good humored and kind but masks it with snarky remarks. Has a crush on Myrna but, instead of telling her, he continuously pushes her buttons and starts arguments with her as that's the only way he knows how to get her attention. _**Side note: Bass is pronounced like the fish, not the instrument.**_

_**Also, shout out to the reviewer that pointed out that naming the kids was a Black tradition, not a Malfoy one. My mistake and it has since been corrected.**_

_**Thanks again for all your support guys! It means a lot.**_

_**Stay Golden!**_


	30. Dress Links

_**Hey guys! I apologize that this has taken so long. It appears the only way I can get the links for the dresses onto the website is by posting them into a chapter so here they are! Let me know if any of the links don't work but they should. Thanks for your patience!**_

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_**Pansy: **_ /Gray-Long-Prom-Dress-Paillette-Tulle-Party-Ball-Formal-Gowns-SIZE2-4-6-8-10-/271728828370?roken=cUgayN&amp;nma=true&amp;si=4Ax%252Fz%252BLwOmCrhTsXT%252BYrUnLc1EM%253D&amp;orig_cvip=true&amp;rt=nc&amp;_trksid=p2047675.l2557

**_Ginny: _** /untold-beaded-godet-dress-mink/

_**Luna:**_ /572309065124538299/

_**Hermione:**_ www./inspiration-board/spring-wedding-inspiration-board/ (4th picture down the page; the Jenny Packham dress)

**_Bridesmaids dress: _** /ralph-lauren-theodora-gown-brown/

_**Narcissa's dress: **_ /572309065124538410/

_**Liz Granger's dress: **_www.s/tadashi-shoji-sequin-lace-gown-regular-petite/3636985?contextualcategoryid=0&amp;fashionColor=Navy&amp;origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&amp;resultback=40&amp;cm_ven=Linkshare&amp;cm_cat=partner&amp;cm_pla=15&amp;cm_ite=1&amp;siteId=QFGLnEolOWg-njK6rrNiPGuOtxIgFRukCg

_**Hermione's wedding dress: **_www./wedding-gallery/stella-york-fall-2015-bridal-collection (the only dress with straps/ the only brunette model)

_**Hermione's ring: **_www./beautiful-diamond-engagement-rings/ (the one below Beyonce)


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